


The Phoenix

by CaptainCaboose



Category: Far Cry 3
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), POV First Person, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-19 15:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 62,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2394128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCaboose/pseuds/CaptainCaboose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Italian spitfire, Veronica, finds herself captive to Vaas Montenegro on the Rook Islands, Veronica finds that perhaps she can escape her haunting past. With a little help, of course. With the island and Vaas prying her fingers off of her hold on reality, will she survive? And what will unravel in the face of our infamous Snow White? *Warning: implications and acts of rape, torture, violence, threats of underage rape*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don’t own Far Cry 3**

_Phoenix: A symbol of new beginnings or rebirth, usually through fire and then rising up from their own ashes_

 

This…insanity…is never ending.

 

There was never a period in my life when something wasn’t chaotic. But if you would like for me to pick a time when things went from alright to shit, then I would say it was when I thought it was a good idea to make a deal with the Genovese. They were the big Italian Mafia around where my baby sister and I lived in New York and I know, the Mafia, what was I thinking? But they had money and a good deal and I needed to supply for my sister.

 

They told me they would give me and my sister an apartment in Naples, Italy as long as I did the Camorra a favor. The Camorra were the Mafia in Naples, known for the blood on their hands. I agreed and things were okay after that. We were getting better and our scars were healing. I actually liked it in Naples but no, my stupidity had caused more issues than I thought.

 

After driving myself and my sister so deep into debt with the Camorra, we had to leave. There was no other option except death. We left on a huge plane with annoying tourists dressed in flowered shirts and men in business suits. We were going to Phuket. Don’t ask me why, I don’t really know why. I guess it was small and unimportant to the Mafia but I didn’t plan for us to stay long. It was just a small stop before I got my shit together and we left for another place.

 

But things just sort of happened, like a chain reaction. I couldn’t control it nor stop it no matter how much I wanted to. But, before we get into that mess, let’s start at the beginning.

 

My name is Veronica Cosima Vitale. My last name is my own and no one else’s. My father’s last name was Fiore, as was my mother’s, my brother’s, and my sister’s. I hated my father and I refused to have the same last name as that bastard. I am twenty-three years old and I consider myself Italian-American. I was born and lived in New York for a little more than half my life. My grandparents moved from Italy to the States, having my father here. He met my mother and long story short, they moved in together and me and my siblings happened.

 

I learned English in school and Italian at home. I learned Spanish from the neighbors and picked it up easily. My older brother, Mason Antonio Fiore, knew English and Italian. On the other hand, my younger sister didn’t speak anything but English.

 

My sixteen year old sister is Eden Kiara Fiore. Eden isn’t old enough to change her last name and I didn’t want to make the decision for her. Whenever I tried to talk to her about how she felt about it, she refused to bring up the topic of our father. I found it strange since she was so young when he was around. I think she keeps the last name because it reminds her of our mother. She died when Eden was five, I was twelve, and Mason was fifteen. That sorry excuse of a father killed her and none of us ever forgave him for it. Our father was never around much but when he was, he made our lives hell. I realize now that it was not normal but when I was a child, I assumed that the father beat their child in every household.

 

My mother was around more than he was but she had to work her ass off just to keep us all under a roof. She would often stare at the kitchen table as if it would make food appear. We would stare with her sometimes, doing the exact same thing over and over again. But did it change anything? No.

 

Mason was like our mother, he was warm-hearted and soft. Eden took after our mother as well except she looked a lot like her. Eden had the same milk chocolate hair and the same sparkly, blue eyes. Mason and I looked like our father; we had near-black hair and brown eyes that seemed to change from golden brown to black mud. I took after my father with his cold-heartedness and often emotionless face. I always knew I had a small piece of my mother in me but my father seemed to beat that part out of me until it no longer existed.

 

I noticed that Mason seemed to morph into a mini version of our father after our mother died. He would hit me and yell insults at me that I didn’t deserve. Eden was like a poor child lost in the dark, she walked amidst the damage done to this family without knowing how or why it happened. I had to guide her and make sure she stayed on the right path but while I concentrated on her, Mason slipped away from me. Each day, I found myself valuing Eden more and Mason less. I felt like it was my duty to keep Eden alive and healthy since Mason and my father weren’t stepping up to the job. I often had an empty stomach while hers was full.

 

As the three of us grew, I became exceptionally good at lying and stealing. It kept us alive and kept food at the table. It was dangerous game but I played it well. Mason did nothing to help us, he would disappear at times and I didn’t see him often. I didn’t mind, one less person to feed. I did worry after being told that he was with the Genovese but he didn’t care about my concerns.

 

One night, my father didn’t return home. I wasn’t worried; he often didn’t come home for a day or two and sometimes three. But after a week of him being gone, I began to worry. There was nothing I wanted more than to see him lying in a coffin but he was my father. I couldn’t not worry about him. Mason didn’t know anything about our father’s whereabouts either so we all just assumed he left us. We didn’t hear about a man’s death in the newspaper and the police didn’t come knocking on our door so we assumed he was still alive. Mason was now the head of the family. He was eighteen years old and I was fifteen, Eden was eight. Things didn’t really change after our father disappeared. Mason still didn’t contribute and I still found us food after scraping up what was needed to pay the rent. But Mason became even more distant and violent until he didn’t resemble our mother at all anymore.

 

Over the period of time from when my mother died to when my father left, something had changed inside of me. I became a stranger to myself and the people around me, I found myself not caring about many of the things that I should have cared about. My health wasn’t my biggest concern and neither was the reputation I was getting. I wasn’t the one holding us together anymore. Eden was. My parents often made appearances in my dreams and every night my reaction was different. Sometimes I begged for them to come back, sometimes I screamed in fury at them, sometimes I smiled and hugged them. But they always just stared at me with monotone faces.

 

Things were uneventful after that. Eden was maturing while Mason got worse. He was hooked on drugs and was often beat up or worn out when he returned home. He was often more violent with me but I had developed some bravery and refused to back down from him. He started bringing his girlfriend, Katherine, around with him more and more, she didn’t like being his girlfriend but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him. I liked Katherine; she was always kind and sweet.

 

There was a time when Mason tried to sell me and Eden to the Genovese for more drugs. When I refused to “cooperate,” he attacked me and tried to kill me. I was shocked at his actions and couldn’t fight back. How could I hurt my own brother? Katherine had been there at the time and she fought for me. She’s the one who took Mason away from us. She protected us. She killed Mason. I don’t like to remember that time but Mason left his mark on me. Physically and mentally. I have a faded, white scar that runs across the right side of my neck. It wasn’t deep enough to kill me though and luckily, Katherine was there to wrap it up. I hate that scar; it’ll be there for the rest of my life. It will make me remember.

 

After Katherine and Mason’s fight, I made my deal with the Genovese and received the “favor” I was to do for the Camorra right away. We were to go to Mexico to help a drug cartel transport a large suitcase of heroin to Naples. Eden and I were the transporters. The flight was successful, obviously. We delivered the suitcase and the Camorra were very happy. They kept tabs on me and Eden and even kept any American investigators off our backs. I was required to pay them for their “kindness” which was a pain in the ass but I guess it was worth it at the time.

 

Making money in Naples was a bit difficult since I couldn’t hold a real job for long. The past never stopped nagging at my brain and it caused my life to be a living hell for a long time. After my mind had settled, the memories would always come back at random times. Flashbacks haunted me and often left me in shock.

 

But we managed to get by with Eden working small jobs and me occasionally selling my artwork (art was one of my hobbies). We had been living in Naples for two long years and were considerably happy. At least, Eden was. Mason and my parents still continued to take over my mind and I would have trouble functioning on those days. The spells lasted from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Nightmares happened often as well, it was always Mason.

 

But life was quiet and things had started to look up for once. That is, until our main source of protection and aid had it with me not being able to pay back our debt. Everything seemed to tumble downhill all over again. Like a Jenga tower, you would stack up all the wooden blocks with such care and precision, but when one block was out of place or slipped, the whole tower went down. But in some cases, the one block out of place can be fixed or only shakes the tower, loosening the solidity of the blocks.

 

That was what the Camorra did; they loosened the tower which affected everything else after that. Vaas Montenegro was the one who pulled out the final block that was keeping everything together. He was the bastard that destroyed the tower completely. He ripped down the walls I had so carefully built. He unraveled my life completely. Yet, he seemed to set me free.

  
But as I said, let’s start at the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this was one of those annoying background chapters and I'm sorry about that but I would suggest you read it to understand what's happening. And I have never been to Naples so if I do talk about it at all in the story, I'm very sorry if any descriptions are off as I've been to a few other cities in Italy so I will be basing most of that off my experience.
> 
> Well, I hoped you enjoyed your little Mafia lesson. I know that I learned a lot. Thanks for reading!


	2. The Beginning

Chapter 1 – The Beginning

_Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?_

**Veronica’s POV**

 

I pushed my way through the dancing crowd in a dimly lit club. Sweat and alcohol was heavy in the air and the music was pounding in my ears. I became annoyed as I tried to find the VIP section with no success. I was supposed to meet an...acquaintance, if you will, Emilio Acerbi, here but I had never been to this particular club before so I had a hard time finding my way around. I was lucky enough to even get into this club. It was obviously for the upper class but with Emilio’s invitation, I was allowed in. He was the owner of this club.

 

Emilio Acerbi is one of the highest members of the Camorra here in Naples. Not unlike all the other Camorra members, he’s a rich bastard who has a fancy for killing and smoking. Emilio was the one who was put in charge of my protection and debt. He had recruited me for a few other drug smuggling tasks, taught me how to shoot a gun, and how to protect myself. He insisted I be thankful by paying him which I found quite annoying.

 

He has been lending me money to help out with food and rent and such ever since we arrived here about four years ago. The fund was meant to help us get back on our feet but we never really did and just relied on the money. Between me and Eden’s part time jobs, not much money ever came in. But at least we weren’t like the beggars out on the streets.

 

And now that was coming back to bite me in the ass. I was pretty deep in debt with Emilio and I knew I was walking the edge with him. I wasn’t sure just how much longer he would let me keep borrowing money without paying it back, and that’s why I’m so nervous about why he called me here tonight. I knew it was about the money, I could feel it and I could only hope that he was on friendly terms with me. Emilio is a dangerous man and with all that money, he would never get in trouble. Not that people wanted to mess with a man such as him anyway.

 

I had brought Eden with me and she was waiting outside. I was a little unsure about leaving her alone, unattended, so I had given her a small knife to help her protect herself. I only felt a little reassured even though I didn’t think it would be needed in this part of the city. Eden had to persuade me to leave her alone, disliking the fact that I was always nervous about her being by herself. Yet I would always worry no matter what she said.

 

One of the bars in the huge club caught my eye and I was glad to have finally found one. I fought for a spot to have a chance to speak with the bartender. After fighting a few elbows and growling insults (both Italian and English), I leaned in towards the bartender to ask for directions. I dismissed his seductive smirk with a raised eyebrow.

 

“What can I get you, _bella?_ ” he asked with a very heavy Italian accent. He winked at me and continued cleaning a shot glass with a rag.

 

“ _Sai dove la sezione VIP è?”_ I yelled over the blaring music. The man nodded in understanding, seeming a bit surprised that I spoke Italian. He was probably surprised since he was so used to all the tourists who spoke only English. Of course there were other languages but English was the one that was most often spoken.

 

“ _Sì, è lì in un angolo!_ ” he yelled back, giving me a small smile. I nodded and turned away, not bothering to return the smile. I shoved my way through the crowd once again but only this time, I knew where I was going.

 

I bumped into a couple that was grinding against each other in a way that made my lips quirk down in disgust. They didn’t turn to apologize for running into me and I rolled my eyes before continuing on. When I finally made it to the roped off section that looked as if it were made for royalty, the two security guards there stopped me. I grew even more agitated and glared at the stone-like faces of the buff men. I was about to tell them that I was expected there but my boss’ voice cut me off.

 

“Veronica, my darling. You finally came,” he said, his voice raspy and deep. I could hear him perfectly over the pulsing music. Emilio inhaled a hit from his cigar before blowing the fumes out of his nose. The smoke looked strange against the different colored lights of the club but they soon evaporated.

 

He was sitting at a table with empty beer bottles, other empty glasses, and cigars littering it. Two stick-skinny girls with faces caked with makeup sat on either side of him, empty shot glasses in their hands. They wore short, sparkly dresses that looked very expensive with heels that seemed far too uncomfortable to wear. They were smiling brightly but when they spotted me, their smiles slid off their faces and morphed into glares.

 

I wanted to laugh as they cast disgusted looks at my clothing. I wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately for this club. I wore dark jeans, a tight black tank top and a thin, purple jacket over it. My hair was just hanging loosely around my shoulders. No matter how long I had lived in Italy, I always looked somewhat American.

 

“Yes, you wanted to talk to me about something?” I asked, walking past the security guards. I stood on the other side of the table and took a seat when Emilio gestured to the chair across from him. He then shooed the two girls away and they cast me death glares while walking away and towards another part of the VIP section. I noticed that other Camorra men were sitting in booths with various amounts of women around them nearby.

 

“Ah, yes. It’s about your rather large debt,” he said, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed way while I leaned forward. I cursed in my head and my eyebrows drew together in worry as I waited for the news. Instead of continuing, Emilio offered me a half empty bottle of vodka that had been sitting on the table but I shook my head. He shrugged and put it back where it was.

 

“I have never been one to cut corners so I’ll just get straight to the point. I’m cutting you off, Veronica,” he announced and I blinked. My teeth grit together as I processed the news. My hands clenched into fists but Emilio didn’t seem to be done. After he inhaled and exhaled some more smoke, he spoke.

 

“Long story short, you have to come up with the money in twenty-four hours or there’ll be consequences. You remember Antonio and Santo, don’t you?” Emilio asked, giving me a cold smile while gesturing to his two personal bodyguards who were standing a little ways away. I hadn’t noticed them before but I narrowed my eyes at them, they returned the glare. Antonio and Santo were these two huge bodyguards that were no brains and all brawn. They hated me and I hated them. We never got along when we were anywhere near each other.

 

Emilio was obviously threatening to have me beaten or killed if I didn’t get the money in time but he was talking about this like it was just rain on a sunny day. I bit the inside of my cheek as my mind raced. There was no way I could get the money in a couple months let alone twenty-four hours. Eden only made a fraction of the amount of debt we had, as did I. We had barely any money in the bank so there was no hope there. Perhaps I could find someone else to loan me money to get Emilio off my back? No, that would just cause a bigger problem.

 

“I’m sorry, Veronica. But there’s nothing I can do. I wish you the best and I’ll see you in twenty-four hours,” he said, clearly dismissing me but I refused to get up. This was unfair. He didn’t need the money and he knew that there was no way that I could get the money in that amount of time. He was doing this to screw me over.

 

“You can’t do this, Emilio. You know damn well that it’s impossible for that to happen. I can’t get that damn money in twenty-four hours,” I said angrily, letting my fist bang against the table. The liquid in some of the glasses shook and the glass clinked together. Emilio didn’t react; he just took another drag from his cigar and exhaled. I kept my enraged stare on him as he stayed completely calm.

 

“I said that there was nothing I could do, Veronica. Now, if you’ll excuse me―” he began but I cut him off. I stood up abruptly and leaned over the table to glare at him.

 

“You know that I don’t have the money, Emilio. You can’t do that,” I growled lowly, pointing my finger at him but his suave expression wasn’t affected. He snapped his fingers and I saw Antonio and Santo coming over to escort me out.

 

“How do they say it in America…? Erm...ah! Actually, I just did,” Emilio said, grinning smugly as his bodyguards grabbed my biceps. “Stop by my office in twenty-four hours, Veronica. Or we’ll come for you,” he said and I cast him a murderous glare which he just smirked at. I ripped my arms out of Antonio and Santo’s grips and gave them my glare as well. I walked out of the VIP section, a fuming expression on my face as I tried to leave the club as fast as possible while muttering curses in Italian under my breath.

 

“And it’s Mr. Acerbi now!” I heard him call after me and it only made me angrier.

 

This was not good. Not good at all. We needed to leave Naples and we needed to leave soon. Hell, we needed to leave the whole country. Maybe we’ll just move back to the US or somewhere in South America. There was absolutely no way in hell I could be able to get that money on time and Emilio would not be merciful. He didn’t joke around when he threatened people. I exited the club, the air was warm and the night was young. The streets were flooded with tourists and Italians as usual. It didn’t take long for Eden to end up by my side. We wordlessly began to make our way back to our apartment.

 

“So, what did the bastard want?” Eden asked, giving me a smile and I cast her a glare to scold her for her language. She shrugged sheepishly and the smile slid off her lips as she took in my sour expression.

 

“He wants the money I borrowed back in twenty-four hours or I’m dead,” I said, my voice low so I wouldn’t raise any attention to anyone listening to us. Eden’s eyes widened in fear but I kept my glare ahead instead of looking down at her.

 

“All of it?” she asked with a shocked expression.

 

“Mm-hmm,” I answered with grit teeth.

 

“What are we going to do?” she asked and I let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through my messy hair.

 

“We’ll have to move again,” I said and she nodded solemnly. She looked a little sad but then her bright blue eyes lit up in excitement, completely unaware of the danger we were in. We had reached our apartment and I unlocked the door to let us in.

 

“Can we go to Thailand?” Eden blurted out and I raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, we don’t have to live there. Maybe we can just visit or stop by. Please, Ronnie?” Ronnie was my nickname that almost all of my friends call me, it was short for Veronica. “Pretty please? I really, really, _really_ want to go. I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand,” she pleaded with me as I turned on the lights.

 

Our apartment was as normal as could be; there was a couch, a kitchen table, a kitchen, a TV, one bedroom with two beds and one bathroom. I chuckled at Eden’s enthusiasm and thought for a moment as I went through a cabinet, pulling out a wine bottle as well as a glass before pouring myself some of the wine.

 

“Maybe,” I answered and Eden smiled widely, beginning to dance around happily. “But I’ll probably have to transfer some money to find a place to live after we leave,” I told her even though I was talking to myself. Transfer was our code word for credit card fraud. But my answer was enough for Eden. She squealed in delight before wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.

 

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Ronnie! You are the best sister ever!” she exclaimed and I smiled, returning the hug with less excitement and patting her head. She then let go of me to start going on and on about the different places in Thailand we could go to and telling me about all the things we could do there. I took small sips of my wine as she talked, relaxing onto the couch. I had to cut her off after a few minutes because she wouldn’t stop if I didn’t.

 

“Alright, time for bed, Eden. I think you’ve had enough sugar for tonight,” I stopped her and she opened her mouth with a worried expression but I prevented her from talking. “I’ll schedule a trip and take care of everything, just go to sleep,” I said, laughing softly at her.

 

“Ok, Ronnie. Thanks again, goodnight,” she said, giving me a small smile. I stood to give her a hug and she wrapped her arms around my midsection. I held my childish sister in my arms before kissing the top of her head.

 

“You’re welcome, Eden. Goodnight,” I returned, watching her until she closed her door and the light disappeared from under her door.

 

I sighed, not sitting back down but taking a long drink from my wine. When it was all gone, I stared at the bottom of the glass with a disappointed look. I caught the sight of myself in a mirror hanging on the wall and scowled at the reflection. I looked like a mess. My long, dark, loose curls were just hanging there limply in a deflated way and I had a hint of dark circles under my eyes. I needed sleep. But the fear of having another nightmare still plagued the back of my mind.

 

I shoved the thought away and refilled my wine glass and got my laptop out, knowing I had to make the flight reservations. I closed the blinds as a safety precaution and checking the locks on the doors before opening my laptop. The bright light from the screen helped keep me awake while the alcohol had the opposite effect.

 

X

 

_“Mason, stop chasing your sister,” my mother’s voice scolded as Mason chased me around the house. I was laughing and screeching in joy as I weaved in and out of furniture and rooms. When we ran into the living room, he tackled me to the floor at my mother’s feet._

 

_“Ah ha! I got you now, you dirty criminal!” Mason shouted out, pulling my hands behind my back to pretend to handcuff them together. I lay on my stomach while wearing a monotone expression as I was arrested._

 

_“Can I be the police now?” I whined while Mason did a pat down as if I had weapons hidden in my clothes. Even though it was fun being chased, I hated always ending up losing and being arrested._

 

_“No, I’m older than you so I get to be the police,” Mason justified and I felt his weight lifted off of me as my mother pulled him up._

 

_“Both of you stop it now before your father comes home. You know he doesn’t like you all running around like that,” my mother said, pulling me to my feet as well. She sat back down on the couch and pulled Eden into her lap, going back to playing with her hair._

_I always loved it when my mother played with my hair, I enjoyed watching her do it too but it wasn’t as fun. She always wove hair into these intricate little braids or she would twist it into a pretty bun or she would do something I would never think was possible. I jumped up on the couch to sit and watch her play with Eden’s hair; Mason picked up a nearby wooden sword and began to swing it around as if he were Prince Charming going to slay the dragon._

 

_“Mommy, can you teach me to do hair like that someday?” I asked, watching her delicate fingers loop hair in and out of each other. She chuckled and smiled softly._

 

_“Of course, Veronica,” she answered as if it were something that she was going to do all along. A look of fascination was on my face as she started over and did a whole different style on Eden’s head. Eden’s hair grew fast and even though she was only three, her hair was long enough to play with. My hair grew fast too and it was hanging down to my back, it was due for a trim soon._

 

_“Mom? Why do people do bad things?” Mason asked suddenly and my mother’s hands hesitated for a moment before continuing. He hadn’t paused in his swordplay and continued to stab the air at invisible pirates._

 

_“What people, Mason?” she asked, my eyes didn’t stray from Eden’s head._

 

_“You know, like criminals and bad guys,” he explained, his tone of voice annoyed as if our mother should have known what he was talking about._

 

_“Well, sometimes, people feel the need to do it because they want to, or they think it’s right, or they don’t have a conscience,” my mother explained and my eyebrows drew together in confusion._

 

_“What’s a…con…consi…consence?” I asked, trying to pronounce the word correctly without sounding stupid._

 

_“It’s conscience, dummy,” Mason retorted and I glared, sticking my tongue out at him. He returned the gesture but our mother ignored us._

 

_“A conscience is something that tells people what’s right and wrong,” my mother explained and my eyes widened in realization._

 

_“Oh! Like in Pinocchio! Pinocchio has a conscience,” I exclaimed and my mother nodded, smiling softly in amusement._

 

_“Yes, like Pinocchio. So you better listen to your conscience or you will turn into a donkey like Pinocchio did,” my mother said and my eyes widened, Mason’s did too while Eden looked confused._

 

_“I will, I’ll be good, Mama. Don’t worry. I don’t want to be a donkey,” I said quickly and she chuckled about something I didn’t know about. Mason nodded his head quickly too, horrified by the idea of turning into a donkey. Eden copied us even though she had no idea what was going on._

 

_“Good, now go play in your room before your father comes home.”_

 

X

 

Our trip to Phuket was quick and easy. I scheduled a trip for the next day (before falling asleep on my laptop) and we packed our bags as fast as we could in the morning. We were off to the airport without a second thought. I didn’t run into Emilio or any of the Camorra at all which calmed me but I wasn’t comfortable until the plane landed in Phuket.

 

When Eden and I arrived, we found a kind man who said he had an apartment for us to stay in. He seemed kind enough to trust but he was a little crazy like an old person would be. Eden liked him and trusted him right away like she always did with new people. I sometimes wondered if that girl even took precautions to anything. He told us to call him Mr. Chai and his real name was too long and intricate for me to remember. Mr. Chai helped us get all of our luggage to the apartment and it was actually pretty nice there compared to what I expected.

Mr. Chai had a daughter; she was a cute, little, ten year-old girl named Kulaya who seemed like she didn’t have a care in the world. It worried me about staying near this man but he didn’t pose any threat that I could see and plus, he had a daughter. I decided to go along with Eden and be grateful that he had given us a place to stay. Eden seemed to be having fun bonding with Kulaya except she didn’t know English. It was almost funny to watch Eden try to explain something to Kulaya or Kulaya explain something to Eden.

 

The weather was perfect and the day was only late morning since the trip was an overnight one. The sun was out and a soft breeze kept the temperature perfect, a couple clouds dotted the sky providing some shade for a couple minutes. For the first time in awhile, felt relaxed and not in danger. Here in Phuket, no one knew my name and I wasn’t in debt with someone. Eden was safe as well which made it all the better. The feeling of paradise only increased after we got everything set up in the apartment with Mr. Chai and Kulaya’s help.

 

“Now that you are all settled in, Veronica and Eden.” Our names sounded funny with his accent. “I would suggest some activities you could do so you could get to know the area better. The weather is beautiful, might I suggest the beach? It is very lovely this time of year. I think you would enjoy,” Mr. Chai said and Eden’ face lit up. She turned to me with a hopeful look on her face but I hesitated.

 

Of course I hesitated. I was always cautious after meeting the Camorra. I had to remind myself that I didn’t need to hesitate here. But the feeling was almost unreal; I couldn’t believe that I was actually free of Emilio.

 

“That sounds fun. Where is it?” I asked and Eden’s smile grew bigger. Mr. Chai nodded with a friendly smile on his face.

 

“It is right down the road by the docks,” he said and with another nod of his head, he turned to leave. Kulaya trailed behind him, asking her father something in Thai.

 

“This is going to be so much fun, Ronnie! We can go swimming and get really tan and go sightseeing and do all those things tourists do!” Eden exclaimed as we began to sort through our bags for bathing suits. I scoffed at her excitement but couldn’t help but smile a little bit.

 

When we were ready to go, we were both in bikinis but I had on a loose tank top with short jean shorts while Eden wore a cute sundress. I made sure that I had a bag with a change of clothes for us just in case we needed them along with some random other items you might need while going to the beach.

 

I even considered bringing a weapon with me, maybe a switchblade or something of that sort but I shook the thought from my mind. I was away from Emilio, why would I need a knife?

 

“You ready, girly?” I asked Eden, putting my sunglasses on top of my head. Eden answered me with an excited hum and I made sure our apartment was locked as we left.

 

It wasn’t a long walk but we enjoyed seeing what we could while walking to the docks. When we got there, we began to walk down the beach in search of a nice spot to sit. The water was a beautiful color and the sand was white.

 

Eden finally decided on a spot and tossed her belongings on the sand before running towards the water. I smiled at her as I set my towel down and relaxed to sunbathe in my bikini. It was strangely nice to not be worrying about a gang on my ass every five minutes. And as time went by, I realized just how crazy it really was that I had the Mafia peering over my shoulder every five minutes.

 

The sound of male laughter and footsteps pounded on the sand. I propped myself up on my elbows to see three men around my age kicking a soccer ball through the sand. They were constantly pushing and shoving each other down. I chuckled at the fun they were having.

 

I watched as two of the men fell on top of each other and didn’t bother to get up. They laughed before kissing each other and the third man voiced his complaining with a roll of his eyes. Both of them just laughed before getting up to continue playing.

 

I smiled at the sight before watching them play with the ball a little bit longer. Eden was watching from the sand, reliving childish memories of building sand castles and burying her legs in sand. Then one of the men kicked the ball over to her, they gestured for her to come play and she did.

 

They passed the ball around for a little while and it was clear that the men were very skilled at the game. There was quite a height difference between the couple and by the way they each held themselves, the shorter one was more relaxed and the taller one more formal. I noticed that the third man had kept slipping me sly looks with a smirk. He kicked the ball towards me and I watched it roll to a stop at my feet.

 

“Come on, Ronnie!” Eden called with a laugh and I considered it, watching the man motion me over with a bright smile.

 

I let out a small laugh before getting on my feet and joining them in their game. I hadn’t done something this carefree in years. And it was wonderful.

 

We played for a little while more before we all stopped for a break.

 

“Hey,” the man who had been looking at me earlier said. He gave me a bright smile and panted slightly, out of breath from the game.

 

“Hi,” I responded, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I returned the smile and the other two men greeted me as well.

 

“You’re a pretty good, did you ever used to play?” the man asked and I shook my head.

 

“Nah, just for fun when I was a kid,” I responded and he nodded.

 

“My name’s Drake, by the way,” he said, holding his hand out for me to shake. Drake was good looking and he was toned nicely. He had a strong jaw line and his tousled, dirty blond hair complimented it.

 

“Veronica,” I responded, shaking his hand. “And these two are?” I nodded to the other two men who were joking about something and lightly pushing each other back and forth like good friends.

 

“Those two knuckleheads are Adonis and Nate. They just got engaged so they’re in a weird honeymoon phase even though they aren’t married yet,” Drake explained and the two men turned when they heard their names.

 

“Please, Drake. You’re just jealous,” one man said, he had a nose ring and was the shorter man, and the other taller man laughed. Drake rolled his eyes but chuckled. “I’m Adonis, named after the Greek god of beauty and desire. But, you know, nothing big.”

 

“Shut up,” his fiancé scoffed. “I’m Nate, nice to meet you.”

 

“Nice to meet you too,” I said, smiling. It was nice to meet new people, especially such happy ones. “This is Eden, my little sister,” I said, turning to Eden who grinned at the men. They exchanged a few polite words before Adonis checked his watch.

 

“Shit, man. We’re gonna be late,” he exclaimed and Drake cussed. I watched as the three gathered their backpacks and Drake turned to me.

 

“Hey, uh, we’re going on this boat thing. It’s for tourists and shit, we get to see some of the views and all that good stuff―”

 

“Drake! Come on!” Adonis and Nate were already jogging away, back towards the docks. Drake shuffled on his feet, looking like he was ready to run when he needed to.

 

“In a second!” he yelled at them and Adonis groaned. “So maybe you and Eden wanted to come with? It would be fun,” he said, looking hopeful. Eden gasped in delight at the idea, and turned to me with hopeful eyes as well.

 

A boat ride didn’t sound too bad. It seemed like it would be pretty relaxing and it would be with other tourists. It wouldn’t hurt. Plus, Eden seemed to really want to go.

 

“Yeah, it sounds great!” I said and Eden cheered. “Let’s get our stuff, hurry,” I said when Adonis yelled at us again.

 

It wasn’t long until all five of us were sprinting down the beach with towels, bags, and shoes in hand. I’m pretty sure that anyone watching thought we were crazy. But we arrived on the docks just in time. The boat itself was a lot bigger than I thought it would be but I didn’t have time to dwell on it since we were already in a rush to get on the boat.

 

I could see that there were people already there, tourists like us. There was a man and his wife and a woman and her child. The man and his wife looked to be just happily wed; perhaps this was their honeymoon. They exchanged a tender kiss and I looked away to the woman and her son. The child was looking over the railing of the boat, trying to see something while his mother just held onto him with a worried expression. I half smiled at them, remembering when Eden was that young.

 

The men who were working on the boat helped us on and welcomed us aboard before getting back to getting the boat ready. We were the last ones to board the boat so we didn’t have to wait long for the boat to start moving. I took a seat and Nate, Adonis, and Drake sat next to me. Eden stood at the railing, her dress fluttering in the wind along with her hair. A smile curved at my mouth when Eden and the child laughed as the boat bounced or they got sprayed by the sea.

 

It didn’t take long for Drake and Adonis to start elbowing each other or messing around. Nate continuously told them to stop acting like children but they ignored him. They looked to be just out of college or just a bunch of young idiots looking to travel the world. They could’ve been brothers by the way they joked with each other. They reminded me of Mason and myself. Instead of watching them mess with each other, I turned to watch the ocean go by.

 

We passed by a few different, small islands that branched off of the mainland and saw a few mountains that were beautiful. The people giving the tour even showed us some private coves that looked as if they hadn’t been touched by humans yet. All in all, everything looked like paradise. I could definitely live here for a while. The boat then slowed to a stop to let us relax in the sun and they even said we could swim right off the boat.

 

Eden got in right away, enjoying the aqua colored water and the warm sun. The woman and her son got in too; Eden even helped the little boy swim around. The couple didn’t get in, they hadn’t dressed for the occasion but seemed to be perfectly fine with sitting there talking.

 

“You going swimming?” Drake asked me, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked over to see Adonis and Nate getting ready to jump in.

 

“Maybe,” I answered with a shrug, “you going?”

 

“Totally, the water looks perfect,” he answered as if the answer was obvious. We both watched as Adonis and Nate ran and jumped off the boat, hand in hand, both doing cannonballs into the water and shouting with the thrill. "Come on, you _have_ to get in," Drake pleaded and I bit my lip in thought.

 

"Alright," I agreed, smiling slightly as I stood. Drake smiled back and I slipped my shorts off before walking to the little platform at the end of the boat. I heard a battle cry of excitement and I turned to see Drake running toward the platform before launching himself off the edge and into the water. I couldn't help but laugh as he came up for air. He gestured for me to come in and I backed up a little.

 

I let out my own battle cry and dived into the water rather than doing a cannonball. When I came up for air, Drake was grinning and I laughed. My laugh wasn’t really one that had a purpose, I just laughed to laugh. I heard another howl and turned to see that Adonis was jumping in again. I hid my face as his splash hit me, laughing with them while we treaded in the warm water. I usually would’ve shaken my head at their childishness but I needed to have a little fun.

 

“So, do you guys go to college together?” I asked once Nate had joined us, staying particularly close to Adonis.

 

“Hell yeah, we study all day and party all night,” Adonis said before laughing at himself and Nate rolled his eyes.

 

“We’re frat brothers to be more precise. Adonis and I knew each other in high school and we met Drake our freshman year,” Nate explained and Drake laughed, seeming to be remembering something.

 

“That was a crazy ass freshman year,” Drake said, chuckling and Adonis agreed with a laugh.

 

“So, Veronica, you on vacation?” Adonis asked.

 

“Sorta, me and my little sister just moved here, but it’s temporary,” I answered, nodding to Eden who was still playing with the child. “What about you guys?” I asked as the four of us swam back up to the boat.

 

“Vacation, just a little fun before we head back to the States,” Drake said. Adonis had already climbed out of the water and stood above us.

 

“And get married!” he yelled excitedly before letting out an excited shout and doing another cannonball into the water. Nate got splashed and didn’t have time to wipe the water off his face before Adonis was kissing him.

 

Both Drake and I laughed before I climbed up the ladder and onto the boat. Drake followed behind me. Adonis and Nate stayed in the water, splashing each other and acting like lovesick idiots.

 

“It’s cool, though. That you’re doing this with your little sister. I don’t have any siblings so…” he said and I nodded.

 

“Thanks. It’s been pretty fun so far.” I guess it wasn’t a complete lie, the time we had spent in Phuket was relaxing but any of our other travels were nothing short of a nightmare.

 

Drake, completely oblivious to where Eden and I had come from, smiled before turning to jump back into the water. We spent most of the day swimming and sunbathing as well as getting to know each other. By the time the men on the boat decided it was time to leave, I would say that Adonis, Nate, and Drake were the nicest people I had met in a long time. They were friendly and innocent and I would even dare to say that I was starting to like Drake. He sort of numbed any fear I had with his party-like aura. All of us had already made plans to go to dinner once we got back to the mainland.

 

As we all started to set in for the ride back to shore, a looming, black, storm cloud became visible in the distance. I hadn’t noticed it before but it ominously dark. I could tell it was going to be a bad storm. The men on the boat must’ve noticed it before all us because they were rushing to get the boat moving. The cloud covered the sun completely and thunder rumbled, the electricity in the air was enough to make your hair stand on end. It was strange how fast the cloud was moving and it was coming right for us. The wind picked up and the boat began to rock with the growing waves. The men working on the boat pretended to look calm but I could see the worry on their faces.

 

“Ronnie, what’s going on?” Eden asked, her sundress back on and she was drying her hair in a towel. I glanced at the sky again and then back at the crew. They were yelling at each other in their language while one man was desperately trying to get the engine to start.

 

“I don’t know, go put a life jacket on,” I directed and Eden scowled but did as I said. It was worrying me that they wouldn’t be able to get the boat started and we’d have to sit through the storm. But relief flooded through me as the engine rumbled to life under my feet. The other people on the boat looked worried too but they also relaxed as we began to move.

 

The boat was moving slowly due to the powerful waves crashing into the sides and it was clear that we weren’t going to outrun this storm. Rain began to sprinkle before gradually pounding down onto the boat and everyone ran for cover under the roof on the boat. I ushered Eden inside as lightning flashed above us. But a sudden wave crashed over the side of the boat and the floor rocked beneath me. I tried to make my way to the others but I kept stumbling and falling, unable to walk in a straight path.

 

“Veronica!” I heard Drake’s voice shout as I fell onto the boat floor. I looked up to see a huge wave coming towards the boat. There was no doubt that it was going to engulf the boat and I wouldn’t have a chance against it. The floor lurched under my feet and I struggled to make it to Drake’s outstretched hand and Eden’s terrified face. But it was too late.

 

“Ronnie!” I heard Eden screech as the wave crashed down on top of me.

 

There was nothing I could do but scream as the wave pulled me off the boat. I hit my head on the railing as I went over and I grimaced. My vision went a little blurry as I fell into the furious ocean; the water was a dark blue now instead of the light aqua it had previously been. I struggled to stay awake while the waves tossed and threw me with no mercy. My body was being pulled in a thousand different directions at the same time and I had to fight to get air. But as soon as I made it to the surface, a current yanked me under again or another wave crashed over me.

 

Water was rapidly flowing down my throat and my lungs burned for air. Every time I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, my head popped above water again. I would cough up water and breathe in a gulp of air before going under again. I lost track of time and I couldn’t see anything above the water thanks to the tall waves. I became exhausted from trying to stay alive and find the boat. But luckily, I found a piece of driftwood as the waves calmed and it was my salvage in this watery hell.

 

It was probably a couple of hours until the storm had completely stopped and the sun began to peak out of the clouds like everything was okay. I was completely at loss as to why the storm had come and gone so quickly but I was just glad it was over. I was soaked to the bone with seawater and rainwater both. My stomach was churning with salt water and I threw up, leaving the salty, sandpaper feel in my mouth.

 

My head ached and I was beyond exhausted from exulting so much energy. So I laid my head down on the driftwood, ready to fall asleep. But I couldn’t. I’d fall into the water and drown. I also needed to find the boat, if there even was a boat anymore. I needed to find Eden or anyone who was on the boat to make sure they were alright. I needed to find help.

 

Despite what I needed to do, I felt my eyelids becoming too heavy to keep them up. Just as I was about to slip into sleep, a small wave splashed onto my face and my eyes flashed open. I was glad for the wake-up. I rubbed my eyes and coughed, my throat still scratchy from the salt water. I scanned the horizon to look for any sign of Phuket or the boat and as I turned, I spotted something that I would never once think I would find.

 

It was an island. A white sand island with big mountains and most of it was covered in a vast green jungle. It could be Phuket but it looked like no one was living there at all. My eyebrows drew together in confusion. I didn’t know that there was an island near Phuket. How far had I drifted away? Where was I? No one had ever said anything about an island. Maybe it was some sort of uncharted island. _Fucking perfect._ Out of all the things that happen, I find a desert island.

 

“Might as well swim to it,” I said to myself. My voice grated against my ears and I coughed again. I knew I would need water soon. Maybe the island had a freshwater source somewhere or hopefully some sort of town or city.

 

I began the long journey to the island, using the driftwood as a float so I wouldn’t sink. I was too tired to swim on my own anyway. The sun was getting closer and closer to the horizon and when I was about halfway to the island, I guessed that I would make it to the shore right before sundown.

 

And I was right. I let the soft waves help push me onto the sand. When I was half in the water and half out of the water, I didn’t bother to move any further. I lay on my back and the water washed over my legs but I didn’t care. I panted as I let my body relax and my muscles ached with exhaustion. Once again, my throat burned and I felt even more seawater I swallowed coming up. I rolled over just in time to empty my stomach. I hoped that it was the last time I would throw up. It was just making me thirstier and my throat raw. I coughed and coughed before finally relaxing.

 

My stomach clenched and I groaned, hoping I wouldn’t throw up. I curled up into a fetal position and refused to move until the pain passed. When it did, I sighed in relief, glad that it hadn’t lasted very long. I felt a lot better now that most of the salt water was out of my stomach but the fear of being alone on what appeared to be an isolate island was creeping up on me. And at night nonetheless. I slowly sat up, ignoring the sand that stuck to me and gazed around. I could see nothing but ocean for miles but when I looked to my right, I saw a pile of something floating in the surf.

 

My eyes widened and I hopped to my feet with renewed energy. Hope began to fill me as I imagined what it could be. Was it a person? Was it someone or something that could help me? Anything was better than nothing. I ran towards the strange thing but slowed as I got closer.

 

“Hello?” I called, my eyebrows knitting together.

 

My jaw dropped when I realized what it was. There was red gushing into the ocean blue. It was one of the workers from the boat and a huge piece of metal was impaled through his stomach. I gasped at the horrific sight and stumbled backwards. I stared at the poor man; he was facing down in the sand so I couldn’t see his face. But I was glad. I took this as a bad sign. If a piece of the boat was here and one of the workers was dead, that meant something happened to the boat. Something happened to Eden.

 

I put my hands on my hips and ran a hand over my hair to pull it out of my face. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the idea that Eden was dead but the evidence that she could be was right in front of me. I took back what I said before. Nothing is better than anything.

 

“Hello?!” I heard someone yell and I jumped, whipping my head towards where the voice came from. It sounded familiar. “Is anyone here?!” The voice yelled again and I felt my chest constrict in hope. It sounded like Drake but I couldn’t be sure.

 

“Over here!” I yelled, running back in the direction that I came from. It was definitely Drake. I recognized him as he came into sight and I waved to get his attention. “I’m here!” I yelled and Drake waved back to show he had seen me before running towards me.

 

“Veronica?” he called and I nodded my head vigorously, slowing to a walk as we got closer. “Veronica, you’re alive!” he exclaimed with a wide smile and I let out a breathy laugh.

 

“Yeah, it’s a miracle. I thought I was done for. What happened? Where are the others?” I asked and Drake sighed. I felt my breath catch in my throat.

 

“The boat was torn to pieces after you fell off. I don’t know what happened to the others but we were all separated. I’m not sure who made it,” he explained and I nodded. This could be a good thing, if Drake made it that meant that Eden could have made it.

 

“What about Adonis and Nate?” I asked, not seeing them in sight. I watched as Drake swallowed like he had a thick lump in his throat and his gaze fluttered to the ground.

 

“I don’t know. We tried to stick together. But...Adonis got sucked under...Nate went after him…” he refused to meet my gaze and kept a sorrowful expression on. I put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as I took in the fact that they were probably gone. “Your sister was very brave. She helped everyone as best she could after you fell. You’re lucky to have her,” Drake said, seeming to want to change the subject. I smiled softly and let out a laugh through my nose.

 

“Oh, Eden. You stupid girl,” I said quietly with a humorless chuckle. She could have saved herself yet she chose to save others.

 

We gazed out at the ocean for a moment, standing in silence as the sun set. But I turned back to Drake when I felt him touching my forehead. He pulled his hand away and I could see my blood on it.

 

“Shit,” I hissed, pressing my own hand to my forehead. “I hit my head on the railing of the boat when I fell,” I explained, looking at my now bloody hand before pressing it back to my forehead.

 

“Yeah, I had a little run in with the rocks,” Drake said sheepishly, lifting up the side of his bloody shirt. My eyes widened at his deep cuts from some rocks that were slowly seeping blood. I had been too concerned with Eden to even notice his blood-soaked shirt so it was a surprise to me.

 

“Fuck, man. Are you okay?” I asked, reaching out to lightly touch his wound. He cringed and groaned so I pulled away. “Oh, sorry! It looks really deep,” I mused and he put his shirt back down.

 

“It’s fine, it only hurts a little bit,” he said, brushing it off but I could tell he was in pain. “I would say we should make camp but it’s too dark to find any firewood.” I nodded in agreement.

 

“We need to find you some kind of bandage to put on that. It could get infected,” I said, turning to walk towards the edge of the jungle. I could feel Drake’s gaze on my back but I ignored him. I found a rather large-leafed plant and tore off a couple of leaves before walking towards the ocean. “Lay down here on your side, I’ll be right back,” I ordered and Drake did as I said, watching me with curiosity.

 

I walked to the shallow water and soaked the leaves in the ocean for a few minutes. I hoped to wash off anything poisonous or any bugs. The leaves would act as a protective covering and the water as a disinfectant and even a glue. I walked back over to him and lifted his shirt up.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, watching me cautiously as I prepared to put the leaves on his wounds. I scowled and pulled away at his comment.

 

“I’m going to put these on your cuts so they won’t get infected,” I explained with an annoyed expression and then tried to put the leaves on him again. This time, Drake pushed my hands away.

 

“With a fucking leaf?” he asked incredulously and I rolled my eyes at him.

 

“Well, do you have a better fucking idea?” I asked him, my voice rising in volume. Drake sighed but didn’t answer me. I took his silence as a “no” and began to put the leaves on his wounds again. “Okay, this might sting a bit,” I warned him before pressing the leaf to his wound. He winced and tensed up so I hurried to put the rest on. When I finished, he relaxed and I backed away. “They’re only for tonight; you can take them off in the morning.”

 

“Thanks,” he said and I nodded, taking a seat next to him. I wrapped my arms around my knees and stared out at the space where the sun used to be. It was silent between us and the sound of the water washing up and then back on the sand soothed me. Still, the anxiety of where Eden was lurked beneath my façade of serenity.

 

I was about to zone out in an attempt to numb my mind but I felt Drake tugging on my arm so I turned to him. He had a salt-water soaked leaf in his hand and he pulled me closer to his face. I gave him a confused look but held still.

 

“You took care of me, now I’m going to take care of you,” he said and began to dab my forehead with the leaf. I wanted to laugh at this, surely he was just smearing the blood everywhere and my wound didn’t really need cleaning. But I held perfectly still and silent, staring at the sand.

 

I hadn’t realized that he was done and when my gaze flickered up to meet his, I realized how close we were. I pulled away with discomfort and didn’t say a word. Drake looked slightly offended and possibly a little embarrassed. I wrapped my arms around my knees again and stared at the ocean. It was quiet for a few moments before I spoke up.

 

“Do you think she’s dead, Drake? She can’t be dead. It’s not possible. She can’t be dead,” I rambled with anxiety clear in my voice. I was going to continue on but the lump in my throat made it hard for me to talk. The tears started to slip out of my eyes and Drake pulled me closer to him.

 

“She’s not dead, Veronica, Don’t worry, she’s fine. I’m sure she’s fine…” Drake said quietly, pulling me against his chest. I let him and he wrapped his arms around me so that I was pressed against his chest. I was lying against him now and he continued to shush me.

 

I wasn’t exactly comfortable in Drake’s arms but it felt nice to have someone comfort me rather than me doing the comforting. I had forgotten what it was like. Eden was usually the one who needed to be comforted so this was strange for me. Being so close to Drake, a man I had just met, was a bit unnerving but I was too tired to say anything. I fell asleep embraced in Drake’s arms and his soothing words whispered in my ears helped. Thoughts of Eden still lingered in my mind long after I slipped into the dark abyss of sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Bella: Italian for "beautiful"  
> Sai dove la sezione VIP è?: Italian for "Do you know where the VIP section is?"  
> Sì, è lì in un angolo: Italian for "Yes, it's in the back"


	3. Complicated Meetings and Greetings

Chapter 2 – Complicated Meetings and Greetings

_Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

The cheery sound of chirping birds and waves greeted me when I opened my eyes. I squinted for a moment and let my eyes adjust to the bright sun before taking in my surroundings. Drake still encased me in his arms so I very slowly pushed him away before sitting up. Drake didn’t even stir so I left him to sleep.

 

The sun was already rising high in the sky but I didn’t really care how late it was, I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. I needed a good night’s sleep for once. But that feeling of happiness wore off as I remembered what happened yesterday and where we were. My stomach also rumbled and my tongue was dry, like sandpaper. We needed to find food and water soon. I figured I would wait to wander off in the jungle until Drake was awake so we could make a plan.

 

Drake was lightly snoring and he looked like he wasn’t getting up anytime soon so I decided to go for a short walk down the beach. I slipped my still damp converse shoes off to let them dry and to let my feet sink into the soft white sand. I was still wearing my shorts and tank top over my bikini and I was glad, I didn’t want to go parading around in just my bathing suit. My clothes were still slightly wet but I couldn’t really bring myself to care.

 

I walked in the opposite direction of where I found the dead man; I didn’t really want to see that again. I must have only walked a couple hundred yards before I saw something lying on the beach in the distance. My eyebrows crinkled in confusion before I realized it must be someone or something that washed up from the boat. I took off running as fast as I could with such low energy in hopes that it would be Eden.

 

I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest as I neared the person or thing. But my heart stopped completely when I saw who it was.

 

 

She was lying on her side, facing away from me. I could see blood staining the sand she was lying on and she didn’t move. I couldn’t even see her shoulders move as she breathed. She was wearing her dress and sandals still but her dress was ripped and torn. I couldn’t see where the blood was coming from.

 

“Eden!” I yelled, sprinting the rest of the way to her. When I reached her, I knelt down next to her and rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were closed and it was clear she was passed out. “Eden, no,” I whispered through my teeth as I pressed my ear against her chest. I was shocked to find that her heart was still beating. “Eden! Eden, can you hear me?” I called before beginning to do compressions against her chest.

 

I continued to do mouth to mouth and compressions but she still wasn’t waking up. I panted and tears were drawing to my eyes as I prayed for her to be alive. I checked her body to see where the blood was coming from to make sure she wasn’t passed out from blood loss but it was only a deep gash on her bicep. It didn’t look like she lost too much blood so I assumed she swallowed too much seawater.

 

“Drake!” I screamed, hoping that he would hear me and come help. I went back to doing compressions, counting the seconds. “Drake! I need help!” I screamed again and this time, he responded. My eyes were on Eden’s blue lips, waiting to see her inhale.

 

“What? What is it?” Drake screamed back and I heard him running down the beach towards me.

 

“Come on, Eden. Come on. Just breathe. _Breathe,_ ” I ordered and just as Drake reached us, water spewed out of Eden’s mouth. Her eyes flashed open and I was filled with relief. “Oh, thank God,” I breathed and sat Eden up as she continued to cough. I rubbed her back and watched her to make sure she was completely conscious. Drake knelt down on the other side of Eden and he was breathing heavily from running.

 

“Ro…Ronnie,” Eden managed to wheeze out but I just shushed her and pulled her into my lap. She began to sob into my chest and I stroked her hair to calm her.

 

“Shh, it’s alright. You’re okay, you’re safe. Don’t worry,” I reassured her and she calmed down slightly. Drake watched with pitiful eyes but didn’t say anything. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked her and she shook her head quickly. “Okay, that’s fine. Drake’s here, remember him?” Drake gave her a friendly smile and she nodded, not returning the smile.

 

“Where are we?” Eden asked, coughing a few times and she looked around at where we were. She had calmed down from her tears and she sniffled before wiping her eyes. I slid her off of my lap and began to help her to her feet.

 

“We don’t know. I think it’s some desert island; I haven’t seen anyone or anything since we got here. We’ve been here since last night,” I explained, looking down at my tank top to see that part of it was stained with blood. It was from Eden’s arm but I didn’t mind it. When Eden was steady on her feet, I let go of her arm and reached down to rip off a piece of her dress. She watched me carefully but then realized that I was just wrapping her arm.

 

I wasn’t too skilled in the medical field but I did know how to dress a wound properly. Where I came from, you needed to know how. But I was no expert on edible and poisonous things and that wouldn’t help us when we began to look for food.

 

“We need to find food and water. Maybe some shelter,” Drake said and I nodded, agreeing with him. “Let’s split up, that way we will have a better chance of finding something,” I nodded again and we turned to look at the vast jungle that looked like it never ended.

 

“Eden’s staying here,” I said and usually, she would be upset but I could see the fear in her eyes as she took in the jungle. “I’ll go this way, bring back whatever you think is useful,” I said and Drake agreed. “Don’t move from this spot, Eden. We’ll use you to know we’re in the right place,” I told her and she nodded, taking a seat on the sand.

 

“Alright, we’ll meet back here as soon as we can. We can’t carry too much,” Drake said and I beginning to walk in the direction I said I would go. But Drake grabbed my arm to stop me. “Hey, be careful,” he said and I nodded.

 

“You too,” I responded before we went our separate ways.

 

X

 

_I had to bite my tongue to prevent from crying out as my father’s hand descended onto my cheek. Tears formed in my eyes but I did not let them fall. I did not cower either when my father pressed his face close to mine. He didn’t like it when you cowered._

 

_“You’re all such fucking disappointments!” my father screamed. I could feel spit flying off his lip and onto my downcast face. I flinched but my body was as still as a statue.  “You weren’t even supposed to be here, Veronica! You were just a fucking accident!” he yelled at me and I tried as hard as I could to prevent the tears from coming but one rolled down my cheek anyway. I wiped it away as quickly as I could. “No one fucking wants you, Veronica!”_

 

_I stayed silent as he continued to torment me; my eyes were on the floor the whole time. Mason stood next to me and looked down as well, he was flinching and wincing involuntarily while I received my father’s wrath. My father went silent and glared down at me with such revulsion and disgust; I truly believed that I wasn’t wanted here and that I was just a stupid mistake in the making of this family. Still, I held in my words of hatred that I longed to yell at him and my tears. They would only make things worse._

 

_My father turned to Mason who was trembling in fear. I was often annoyed at how scared Mason would get at things but now I only felt bad for him. He had attracted our father’s attention and now he was really going to get it._

 

_“And_ you _! You are fucking weak and a damn wimp! How the fuck did I get stuck with a son who is scared of everything?” he yelled and Mason shook with complete panic. I could tell he was trying to keep himself still and look brave but he couldn’t. “Look at your sister! She just stands there and takes it. Here, watch. Maybe you can learn a few things,” my father said and he turned to me._

 

_I braced myself and my father’s hand hit my opposite cheek. My face ached but I kept my mouth sealed shut and my tears in. I kept my eyes on the ground and acted like my father hadn’t even touched me._

 

_“See! Look at that, your nine-year-old sister can take better hits than you can! You’re fucking twelve years old now, Mason! Be a man and stop acting like such a pussy!” he screamed before hitting Mason like he did with me. But he didn’t hit him as hard as he hit me, I wasn’t sure why. It made me jealous. Mason cried out and cradled his cheek while letting out a few tears, they were from pain and alarm._

 

_“Get the fuck out of my sight before I lose my temper! You disgusting shits,” my father spat, stalking away from us in his drunken stupor._

_He didn’t have to tell us twice, we were up in our room before our father reached the front door to leave. Mason plopped down on his bed with a saddened whimper; he was still holding his cheek like my father had put a branding iron on it. I was tempted to yell at him for being such a baby since our father had hit me harder but from the way he yelled at Mason, I decided I should just keep my mouth shut. I shouldn’t beat a dead horse, at least that’s what my mother would say._

 

_I stood in front of the small mirror we had and examined my face. On one side of my face, there was a small bruise on the apple of my cheek; it spread up so that I had a slight black eye. On the other side, I had a larger bruise so my cheek looked sunken in. I poked both bruises, flinching as pain surged through my face before joining Mason on the end of his bed._

 

_“It’s alright, Mason. You’re not wimpy. I think you’re brave, like that time you got the basketball out of that mean Mr. Carpenter’s yard because we were afraid to. That was brave,” I said, trying to cheer him up but he didn’t respond. “He doesn’t hate you, Mason,” I commented after a moment of silence and that set Mason off._

 

_“He doesn’t hate me?” he yelled, sitting up to face me. I jumped up off of the bed in surprise at his sudden action. “Didn’t you just hear what he said to me? He absolutely hates me! He_ loves _you! He thinks you’re way better than me and he thinks that you’re tougher than me!” he growled, calming down slightly but that anger was replaced with sorrow. I blinked a couple times, not used to Mason blowing up like that._

 

_“He likes you more than me, Mason. He didn’t hit you that hard,” I stated, glancing at Mason’s cheek in envy. There was barely a bruise there and I guessed that it would be gone by the next day or two while mine would last for a few days. Mason glared at me and put his hand over his cheek._

 

_“Shut up, Ronnie! He hit me hard and you know it!” he yelled and I averted my gaze to the floor while lightly touching my own bruised cheek. “Just stop talking about it, okay? Dad likes you better. It’s obvious,” he growled, lying back down again and facing away from me._

 

_I sighed and dropped the subject. I would have continued to say that our father had said that I wasn’t wanted here or that I wasn’t supposed to be part of this family. And our father had only told Mason that he was wimpy. I would have given anything to hear those words shouted at me rather than being told I was unwanted and unplanned._

 

_Still, I shut my mouth and lay down on my own bed, waiting for sleep to claim me._

 

X

 

I shoved my way through the thick bushes of the jungle, trying to make my way back to the beach. I hadn’t gotten lost so I had that to show for but the jungle was winning against me. I growled as a plant snapped back and hit me in the face.

 

I placed a foot forward only to find that there was nothing to stand on, so down I fell. I tumbled down a small dip in the land before rolling to a stop. I groaned and hauled myself to my feet, brushing off any leaves or dirt that had stuck to me. I checked a small scratch that was on my side from when I had accidentally fallen onto a sharp rock. My tank top was torn in a couple of spots but I kept it. I would need it to keep the dangerous jungle life off of my skin.

 

Luckily, I could see the beach through the trees so I made my way towards it quickly. I just wanted to get out of the confines of the jungle.

 

“I’ve had it with this fucking island,” I growled as I burst through a bush that was preventing me from getting to the beach.

 

An annoyed sound escaped my mouth as I pulled a couple of leaves out of my hair but I froze when I looked up. Yet another thing I would never expect to see was a group of red-clad men strolling around on the beach. They had guns strapped to their backs and in their hands. They obviously lived on this island by the way they held themselves so carelessly, but didn’t look too friendly. Eden was exactly where she was supposed to be but she was tied up with her hands behind her back, she saw me and her eyes widened. I saw her mouth open but it was too late to stop her.

 

“Ronnie!” she called out and all the men turned and looked at me. My eyes widened at them and Eden snapped her mouth shut hastily, obviously regretting her mistake.

 

“There she is! Get her!” one of the men yelled and that set them all off. They reminded me of a bunch of bloodhounds running after a rabbit. Making me the rabbit.

 

I stood in shock before turning on my heel and trying to run. The sand was uneven and shifted under my weight so I was slowed. I was also tired and weak from no food or water. I knew that they would catch up to me easily but I had to try. The men had high stamina and I could tell they must have been on the island for a while with food and water to be running this fast.

 

I was easily caught and I didn’t fight against them while I tried to catch my breath. The men tied my hands behind my back like Eden and walked me back over to where they were before. The man who had given the order to get me had stayed where he was with a second man to watch Eden. He smirked at me as we got closer and I glared at him. Eden watched us with a concerned and cautious look.

 

“You’re not going anywhere, girl,” the man said and I assumed that he had power over these men even though he was dressed the same as them.

 

Going against my better judgment and all common sense, I tried to yank my arm away from the man who held me. His grip slipped, my attempt being unexpected but the leader of the group ended up grabbing me before I could get away. His grip on my bicep was crushing and I could feel a bruise forming. I winced at the pressure as well as glared at the man’s smug eyes.

 

“Don’t even think about it, bitch,” he growled lowly but just loud enough for anyone near to hear. I narrowed my eyes further at him but didn’t make another attempt. I could feel Eden watching us with wide eyes. “By the time I’m done with you, you won’t be able to remember your own name.” He smirked as his gaze examined my body and his free hand caressed my cheek. Eden became even more fearful and I could see her leaning away from the men.

 

“Go to hell, asshole,” I snarled at him, attempting to knee him between his legs but he avoided my hit. The man’s expression clouded with anger and he raised his hand to backhand me across the face. I felt my eyes roll back into my head as I flew backwards, blood spraying from my mouth. I landed with a grunt on the sand before the man picked me up again, Eden whimpering quietly alarm. I grit my teeth at the pain of him yanking my arm but didn’t open my mouth to say anything else.

 

“Shut the fuck up and don’t disrespect me again,” he growled but I gave him an impassive glare. The other men just glanced around in a bored way as if this type of thing happened every day. The leader shoved me into another man’s grip and began to move towards an invisible path in the jungle. To where, I wasn’t sure. The rest of the men followed with me and Eden in tow. I spat some blood onto the white sand, the red standing out against the bleached color but I paid no mind, marching forward with a murderous glare on my face.

 

We trekked through the jungle, not stopping for anything even though we were thirsty and tired. I worried about Drake, would he return to the beach searching for us or did these horrible men catch him too? I was also worried about our fate, what was going to happen to us? And where were we? Why did these men live here? I never heard of an island like this one before that was close to Phuket.

 

But only one word came to mind when I thought of these men. _Savages._

 

Every once in awhile, I would be shoved for “moving too slowly” causing me to fall to the ground. I assumed it was because I tried to escape before and this was a punishment. I hurt my ribs on one of the falls. I landed on a sharp rock but the men just found it amusing that I was hurt. I was sore in that area for a little bit but I was pretty sure I hadn’t broken anything. Eden was doing fine; she wasn’t hurt or touched which made me content. It just mattered that she was okay.

 

I didn’t know how long we had been walking but we finally reached our destination. It was a large compound infested with red clad men with guns. I assumed that this was their headquarters or their base of some sort as well as the place where we would be staying. If we were staying anywhere. We were brought into the compound and I noticed that all the men there were carrying some sort of weapon. There were also noticeable blood stains as well as a dead body in the dirt. My eyes widened in fear and I turned away.

 

“Hey, keep moving!” the man leading us yelled as we slowed down to try and take in our surroundings. Someone shoved me forward with the butt of his gun and I stumbled but managed to stay on my feet. Eden continued forward with me following her and I felt the eyes of the other red dressed men on both of us. I felt like the new kid in a school, everyone was curious yet not interested enough to do anything about it.

 

“We got a young one, don’t we?” hummed a man, stopping Eden in her tracks and roughly grabbing her chin. Eden whimpered and I clenched my teeth in anger before swiftly kicking him in the side of the knee, causing his leg to bend the way it shouldn’t have and there was an audible snap as his leg broke. He screamed in pain, falling to the ground causing the other pirates around to turn to us.

 

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at what I just did. I was shocked at my actions. Yet I blamed it on the instinct to protect Eden. Eden looked shocked as well; she stared with a horrified expression at the man’s broken leg.

 

“I…I―” A man cut off my babbling.

 

“You bitch,” he growled, stalking towards me but I stood my ground with a defiant glare on my face. Eden hid behind me, peeking around me much like a shy child would. The man punched me across the face and blood dripped out of my nose and my cheek ached. I grunted in pain, stumbling backwards while gritting my teeth. I glared fiercely at the man in fury.

 

“ _Figlio di una cagna_ ,” I snarled viciously before spitting blood all over his face with as much hatred as I could muster. He growled in anger and went to punch me again but I managed to duck and avoided getting hit. It didn’t do any damage to the man but it made him even angrier. He wrapped his hand around my throat and I could hear Eden pleading for their mercy as I tried desperately to breath.

 

“Aye! _Hermano_ , enough,” a new voice said and the man immediately released me. I fell to my knees, gasping for air and calming myself. I heard footsteps and then a pair of army boots was in front of me, I slowly looked up and found myself staring into the face of yet another man dressed in red.

 

This one seemed different from the others. He wore a red tank top which made him blend in yet he stood out. He wore dark green cargo pants and black army boots; there was a red piece of cloth tied around his bicep. He had a mohawk on his shaved head with a rather deep and large scar that cut across the side of his head. The scar itself stood out on his face and most of my attention was brought to it. The man was muscled and well-built; he looked well-nourished which was an obvious trait of survival in an unpopulated place such as this. His eyes were a shade of golden brown, flecked with a peculiar shade of green which made his eyes change colors in the sun. I noticed that he had some sort of necklace that was a simple thin black leather rope with a rock or perhaps a shard of jade hanging around his neck. The man also had fading scars and wounds which made me apprehensive, he was dangerous and obviously survived much. I could tell by the aura of respect and fear around him that he must have been their true leader. I found it sort of silly that the only weapon he carried was a small handgun while his men carried large guns and other weapons.

 

When I met his gaze, he smirked and knelt down in front to me. Eden whimpered again but another man grabbed onto her to keep her in place.

 

“Get the fuck off of her, you bastard,” I snarled, turning to give one of my nastiest glares at the man but the leader grabbed my chin so that I was forced to look at him. I could taste blood that had leaked into my mouth but I wasn’t able to move my mouth and spit it out.

 

“What is your name, _bonita_?” the man asked, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the blood on my lips but he ended up just smearing it everywhere. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out what his game was. I noticed he had some sort of accent, I couldn’t quite place it but he obviously spoke Spanish.

 

“What is _your_ name?” I returned with a sharp tone, my question made him smile slightly as if he were amused. He let go of my face and I didn’t move, knowing that there would most likely be consequences.

 

“You got balls, I like that. My name is Vaas Montenegro, _hermana_. Care to share yours?” he asked and I gave a slight shake of my head. Names had power, once someone knew your name, they could figure out almost everything about you. “Aw, a little shy, are we?” Vaas pouted, caressing my cheek with his finger which I pulled away from. He chuckled before standing up, turning to his men who had been watching our exchange. “Line them up, motherfuckers!” he ordered and the men obeyed.

 

One grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet and shoving me forward. I cast him a glare before following Eden who was being lined up against a wall that was stained with blood. I glanced at it cautiously but was then pushed next to Eden. Vaas stood before us again and I wasn’t really sure why he had us moved. Had we not been in an acceptable spot? Apparently not.

 

Vaas greeted me with a smirk and I greeted him with an angry expression, Eden huddled closer to me in nervousness.

 

“Carlos, where’s this chick’s ID?” Vaas asked someone who had been standing nearby. I remembered that my ID and Eden’s fake ID were both in my back pocket. Eden had a fake ID just in case we needed it for her to get somewhere or just any scenario where she needed to be eighteen. I usually carried it and gave it to Eden when she needed it.

 

“No one checked for it,” the man named Carlos answered, shrugging his shoulders. Vaas’ smirk widened even more and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. My eyebrows drew together in confusion before my eyes widened in realization as he neared me.

 

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” I growled as a warning but there was nothing I could do. Vaas wrapped his arms around me and reached into both of my back pockets. I stood as still as I could while his hands explored my pockets as well as my backside. I kept eye contact with him the whole time while trying to maintain some of my pride. I ignored his smug smile and the other men getting a laugh about it.

 

Eden was confused until she realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed and she averted her eyes like a young schoolgirl. Vaas had taken his sweet time but when he was satisfied, he pulled out my wallet and began to rummage through it.

 

“Disgusting,” I spat lowly, meaning to insult him but Vaas just laughed before examining my ID.

 

“Veronica Cosima Vitale,” Vaas read, smiling to himself as if my name were funny. “Twenty-three years old, one hundred and forty four pounds, five-foot-five, Venice, Italy. Hmm, Italian, I don’t think I’ve ever had Italian before,” Vaas said in a suggestive tone that made some men nearby smirk in amusement. I gave him a disgusted look while glaring which made him smile once again; I noticed that his dark skin made his white teeth stand out. He then read off of Eden’s fake ID. “This is a very good fake ID, one of the best I’ve seen. But you, Eden Kiara, do not look eighteen years old,” Vaas said and Eden flinched away from him.

 

“ _Questo è pazzo_. Leave her alone,” I warned but Vaas ignored me, putting our IDs in his pocket.

 

“I think you two will make me quite a lot of money, Cosima. Let’s not get on bad terms. Put them with the other one,” Vaas ordered, touching my cheek one last time but this time, I tried to bite him. He pulled away just in time for my teeth to grasp nothing but air. “You like to bite, huh? Like a snake, you are,” He said, giving me a smirk but I ignored his smug expression.

 

“ _Mantenga las manos quietas_ ,” I said and a slightly surprised look crossed Vaas’ face as he realized I could speak Spanish before smiling. He shook his head at me and laughed at something I couldn’t decipher.

 

“You are just full of surprises, aren’t you, Little Snake?” he asked, poking the tip of my nose with his pointer finger. “Black Mamba,” he chuckled and twirled a piece of my dark hair between his fingers before walking away; leaving me to be walked to the “cages” he was talking about.

 

I had noticed he used my middle name. No one had called me Cosima in a long time nor had anyone used my full name in a long time. If you didn’t count Drake. My mother always called me Veronica but everyone else who knew me called me Ronnie. The only person who called me Cosima before was a man who worked with my mother; he was a wild and flamboyant gay man who talked with a British accent. I enjoyed his company while my father did not.

 

He was the one who began my passion for art. He would go on and on about the beautiful colors and details of the world that only artists could capture. He reassured me that I would do great things with my art while my mother would just pester me about cleaning up my art supplies lying around. I wasn’t quite sure what happened to him but he didn’t come to our house again after a while. I think I remember my mother telling us that he moved.

 

The cages that Vaas mentioned came into view and I was surprised that such sturdy looking things could be built here. The man who was pulling Eden along opened the door to a cage with a hunched figure already tied up inside. He walked into the cage and tied her hands above her head to one of the cage bars. The man leading me did the same but I was across from Eden and next to the huddled man.

 

His head was hanging down and I couldn’t see his face. Eden’s back was to the camp while I could see it all from where I was. I sort of preferred that, I wouldn’t want Eden to see what was happening in this place. From the looks of all the blood, dead bodies, and guns here, I could only guess what horrid things happened here.

 

I turned to look at the man who was here before us and took in his current state. He was bleeding quite a lot, from where I wasn’t sure. But he looked bruised and beaten and overall exhausted. A sheen of sweat covered him and made the blood on his skin slick. Suddenly, the mess of blond hair and the color of his shirt made me realize that it was Drake!

 

“Drake!” I exclaimed in realization and surprise. Eden’s eyes widened as she realized it was him. Drake just made a sound of acknowledgment and attempted to lift his head. I guessed that he hadn’t had any luck with finding food or water so he must have been dehydrated. “Drake, it’s Veronica. Come on, wake up. Don’t go to sleep, come on,” I pleaded, waiting for him to try to look up again.

 

At the sound of my name, Drake lifted his head fully and looked over at me. I gave him a concerned look, examining his bleeding head, swollen lip and black eye. The blood had dripped down over his forehead and around his eye. He gave me a smile that was more of a grimace from pain.

 

“They got you too?” he asked but I didn’t smile back.

 

“What did they do to you, Drake?” I asked in a pitiful voice. I feared that some form of this would happen to Eden or me. Hopefully, I would be able to get us out of this place before anything bad happened.

 

Drake had already let his head fall back down and I let him, hoping he would be able to regain his strength. We would need it to find a way out of here. Eden looked like she was slipping off into sleep as well but her eyes were so wide open with fear, she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she wanted to.

 

“Eden, relax. Just go to sleep, I’ll make sure you’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I reassured her and she nodded, trusting me. She never had a reason not to and I was her older sister, of course she would trust me.

 

I could see her finally ease into sleep and she must have been tired because it didn’t take long for her to go to sleep even though it was still daytime. I, on the other hand, didn’t feel tired anymore. My eyes scanned the camp filled with red dressed savages. When they fell upon a certain mohawk shaved head, I narrowed my eyes. Vaas seemed to feel my gaze and turned to look at me.

 

A smile spread across his face that made me feel uncomfortable yet angry. We kept eye contact for a couple of moments before Vaas’ face changed into an expression I couldn’t describe. He turned away and walked out of sight. His expression made me feel like an annoyance or a nuisance. Good, he should know that I wasn’t going to just stand by and watch this happen...whatever was happening here.

 

Didn’t he mention something about making money? Did that mean he was going to sell us? A bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and I looked over at Eden’s peaceful face. She looked even younger when she slept. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I promised myself that and I would keep that promise. And _no one_ , not even Vaas, was going to get in the way.

 

X

 

We were left in the cages until it was dark. No one came to us and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. There was only one man guarding all of the cages but all he did was sleep and smoke. I guessed it was weed by the smell. I figured that it would be easy to sneak past him but my bonds were tied much too tightly and I hadn’t even begun to think of how I would unlock the cage door.

 

My wrists had rope burn from me pulling on them so much. I was the only one in all of the cages who was trying to get out. Drake and Eden were asleep and everyone else seemed to just have accepted their fate. But I refused to.

 

“Hey! Stop fucking around,” yelled the guard and let out an annoyed sigh. I stopped struggling and I could feel the purpose to escape starting to fade along with any adrenaline I had, weakening my muscles and exhaustion set in. I still hadn’t slept and I needed to.

 

“It’s no use, Ronnie. We’re stuck here forever,” Eden whined and I looked up at her to see tears streaming down her cheeks. I hadn’t noticed that she was awake. A frustrated growl came from my mouth and I kicked the side of the cage. The bamboo didn’t budge.

 

“Eden, I’m getting us out of here. Just…just stay calm,” I told her but my own voice was shaky. Even though I was telling Eden to stay calm, it sounded more like I was telling myself to stay calm. Eden didn’t say anything back to me and we both sat in silence.

 

I was trying to think of a way out but everything came back to the fact that I couldn’t untie my hands. It was now dark and Eden fell back asleep, I guessed it was because she was still in shock from everything that happened. Eden has gotten through a lot which has always surprised me, but a sixteen year old can’t be expected to take much.  I was restless and didn’t plan on sleeping so I was awake when a different man came to trade places with the previous one. This new guard didn’t fall asleep but he did snort a couple lines of cocaine.

 

Another sigh slipped through my dry lips and I let my head fall against the rough bamboo. I looked up at the night sky, the millions of stars apparent with a couple of trees hiding them. I gazed up at them in wonder; I had never seen so many stars before. The places I lived always had too many lights and I could only see a couple. But here, this was amazing. This place would be paradise if Vaas and these men weren’t here.

 

Despite my intentions to stay awake, the bright stars that I saw in the sky became the back of my eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Figlio di una cagna: Italian for “son of a bitch”  
> Hermano: Spanish for “brother”  
> Bonita: Spanish for “beautiful”  
> Hermana: Spanish for “sister”  
> Questo è pazzo: Italian for “this is crazy”  
> Mantenga las manos quietas: Spanish for “keep your hands to yourself”


	4. Testing My Sanity

> Chapter 3 – Testing My Sanity  
>  _All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, as few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces beyond repair._  
>  **Veronica’s POV**  
> 

_My grip around Eden’s shoulders tightened with each scream that echoed from downstairs. The terrified feeling in my chest seemed to spread through my limbs with each scream that came from my mother. Her angry shouts soon became ones of pain and my father only got angrier and louder. I pressed me and Eden further against the wall of the dark closet we were hiding in, in our bedroom. Where Mason was, I didn’t know._

_Eden whimpered and I shushed her, trying to comfort her but my hands were shaking. Suddenly, everything was silent with the slam of the front door and we both sat there frozen like ice. The only thing we could hear was the sound of a car speeding off into the distance and our heavy breathing. I was just about to creep out of the closet to make sure it was safe to come out but a cry made me retreat into the closet._

_“Mom!”_

_It was Mason. My eyes widened at the pain and horror in his voice so I ran down the stairs as fast as I could with Eden right at my heels. It was strange how much a child could idolize a parent at such a young age. Eden cared about our mother just as much as I did which didn’t make sense to me. I was older than her, so I should care more. Those thoughts were shoved from my mind when I entered the kitchen._

_There lay my mother in a small puddle of blood that surrounded her head on the floor. Mason had been kneeling down next to her but the look on his face was one I would never forget. The pain and the panic were the last real feelings he ever really truly showed. Mason had backed up from our mother’s motionless body, blood was on his knees from when he had knelt down beside her. He stood near the table with this haunted look in his eyes that made him look like he had seen a ghost._

_I realized that he had watched our mother die. There was nothing I could ever do to comfort him; he had seen things that I could never even begin to imagine._

_“Mama!” Eden screamed in alarm and ran towards her to sit next to her head. She began to shake her and try to pull her lifeless body up but she was only a little girl, there was no way she could have done it. I stood in the kitchen doorway, staring down at our dead mother whose eyes were still open in a fearful expression. Her mouth was slightly agape which made her even more scary-looking._

_“Mama, please! Wake up! Come on! You have to wake up!” Eden pleaded at our mother who still didn’t respond. Eden began to sob into our mother’s chest, with both me and Mason staring down at her with wide eyes. And for the first time in our young lives, we didn’t know what to do at all._

X

My night had been plagued with nightmares. I had gotten barely any sleep and staying in such an unfamiliar and horrible place didn’t help. My mind itself wasn’t tired but my muscles and bones were tired. My stomach was empty and I was so thirsty that it was hard to swallow. I needed at least water soon.

As the sun rose and the air got hotter, more and more men began to filter out of the huts where I assumed most of them had slept. Soon, the whole camp was awake but I couldn’t find Vaas. I found myself searching for him and I scolded myself for it when I realized it. But something about him intrigued me. Even though we just met, something about him was just interesting. I didn’t know what it was but I hated him for it.

Drake and Eden were still asleep as were the other prisoners in the other cages. I had noticed them yesterday before it got dark, they looked miserable and perhaps a little beaten up and underfed. I feared that we would end up like them. I wasn’t going to let it happen. We would get out of here.

I must have sat there with my arm and my shoulder muscles aching from being in such an uncomfortable position above my head for maybe an hour or two when Drake woke up. He looked better and felt better; he was actually alert and aware. I wasn’t really sure what to say and he didn’t either so we were both quiet. I don’t think we could have said anything anyway; both of us were dying of thirst and hunger.

The subtle pains of hunger aching in my stomach brought back the memories of when my mother was still alive. At night when she came home from her job, she would either have some sort of food for us to eat (it wasn’t always much) or nothing at all. During the nights when there was nothing, she would stare at the kitchen table absently as if it would make food appear. Mason, Eden and I would sometimes stare with her. But it never did anything. 

After a few more moments of silence, I noticed a man making his way over to our cage with a platter of fruit. He looked annoyed and bored; I guessed that he hated his job of feeding the prisoners. He opened the door to our cage and Eden woke at the sound. She looked confused, like she couldn’t remember where she was but then she remembered. I could see Drake eyeing the food with want.

My own mouth was watering at the sight of the food as I imagined the heavenly taste and the feel of my thirst being relieved. But I felt a gaze on me and I turned to its direction. There sat Vaas on a crate with a cigar in his hand, watching me with a calculating expression. My eyes flickered back to the man who was now holding out a piece of mango for me to take. I wasn’t sure if Vaas was just absentmindedly staring at me or if he was waiting to see if I would take the food. But that didn’t matter; I would do exactly what he didn’t want.

I refused to open my mouth and the man became even more annoyed. The patient look on Vaas’ face fell and he looked a bit confused, possibly even a little irritated. I felt a spurt of victory within me. Drake and Eden were looking at me like I was crazy but I didn’t care.

“Open your mouth, bitch,” the man snarled at me but I lifted my chin up at the fruit in his hand as if it disgusted me. “Open your mouth before I put something else in it for you to suck on,” he threatened, sounding angrier this time.

Drake stiffened at the threat but I just glared up at the man angrily, gritting my teeth in disgust. Still, I didn’t open my mouth. I could still Vaas’ eyes on me. The man seemed to have had enough and he dropped the platter of fruit on the ground. I glanced at some of the fruit that had rolled into the dirt. My eyes widened at him, hoping he wouldn’t go through with what he had said. 

He bent down so that we were closer and he began to force my mouth open. I struggled to keep my mouth shut but he was much stronger than me. Instead of following through with what he had said (luckily for me), he shoved a piece of mango down my throat and I gagged, trying to clear my airways. The fruit was so juicy that it just slid down my throat and I was able to breathe. I continued to cough, a strange feeling settled in the back of my throat from swallowing food whole. The reason for my sudden violent coughing was mostly panic, I wasn’t actually hurt in any way.

The man had neither pity nor care for what he had done to me. He just picked the platter of food up and put the dirty pieces back on as well as if nothing was wrong with them. He then turned to Drake and Eden who were wide eyed, watching me cough and sputter with horrified expressions. When the man neared Drake with a piece of fruit, he accepted it more than willingly and Eden copied him. They both averted their eyes from the man until he had left our cage.

I had calmed myself while they ate and glared after the man but he didn’t see me. Drake looked over at me like I was insane while Eden cast me a concerned look. 

“Are you fucking crazy? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Drake asked but I refused to answer him. My eyes were still narrowed but this time, they were set on Vaas who was now smirking at the scene that had just played out.

It was obvious that he had enjoyed what just happened. And considering that he didn’t stop the man from force feeding me, I assumed that this was normal treatment. No one else spoke up either. 

I looked away from Vaas and back to the man who had fed us. I found it strange that he skipped a cage that had three men in it and I became even more confused when a couple of men took the three out of the cage. Their hands were still bound behind their backs and they were walked to a stage that was raised up off the ground. I could see that it was stained with blood even from here and I could tell that this wasn’t going to be good. 

They were put on their knees on the stage and I could see one of them was crying. The men that had escorted them began to put blindfolds on them but my view was suddenly blocked. I looked up to see Vaas standing in the way. I glared up at him while he stared down at me, I felt beneath him and of less importance but that only made me angrier.

“Is something wrong, Little Snake? Huh? Are you not enjoying my hospitality?” he asked me and Eden instinctively leaned away from him. 

“Not when it’s being shoved down my throat,” I shot back and Drake cast me a wide eyed look. 

“Veronica,” he hissed in a way that told me to shut my mouth. Vaas’ eyes flickered back and forth between us before smiling in realization.

“Oh, _qué sorpresa!_ You two know each other. How sweet, two lovebirds reunited at last,” Vaas laughed and I raised an eyebrow at him. Drake had a light blush on his cheeks and refused to look at me. 

“Actually, we aren’t really…together. We are just friends, we just met yesterday,” Drake said, beginning to ramble awkwardly. I rolled my eyes and cast him an annoyed look while Vaas looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Nothing going on between us at all, just good friends.” 

“Yes, Drake. We get it, thank you,” I said in an annoyed tone. 

“I was just telling him that―”

“Drake, shut the fuck up,” I silenced him and he didn’t open his mouth again. I probably should have been sorry for snapping at him but I strangely wasn’t. Vaas chuckled quietly at me before speaking up.

“Well, _señoritas y señor,_ I hope you enjoy the wonderful little show I’m going to put on,” Vaas said, clapping his hands together once before walking away without another word. I crinkled my eyebrows and watched him walk towards the stage. 

“What’s he talking about?” Drake said quietly to no one in particular. I rolled my eyes at him but refused to respond. _How the fuck was I supposed to know?_

I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen on that stage but my eyes widened as I saw Vaas take a machete from one of the men standing around. As Vaas stepped onto the stage, the machete ready in his hand, I could get a general idea of the “show” Vaas talked about. Eden had turned her head around to try and see what was happening but I wasn’t able to open my mouth fast enough to tell her to look away. 

Vaas had sunk the machete so deep into the man’s chest that the blade wasn’t visible. Even from here, I could see the bright, wide smile on his face as the man screamed in pain before going silent. Vaas ripped the machete from the man’s body and the man fell limp at his feet. Fresh blood was splattered all over the floor of the stage as well as Vaas’ clothes and hands. The other prisoners had heard the scream and began to shake and cry.

Instead of ending the next man’s life just as quickly as he did the first, Vaas knelt down next to the man. I couldn’t hear what he was saying but by the way the man quivered in fear, I could tell it wasn’t something good. Eden had already hid her face in her arm; she had turned away from the scene just as the first man died. I could hear her quietly crying but I couldn’t comfort her, I was just in as much shock as she was. Drake had paled until he looked ghostly..

“No one wants to fucking pay for you!” Vaas said loud enough for me to hear before slashing a long line across the man’s stomach. The man’s insides and blood was spilled out across the stage, Vaas only moved out of the way with a glare. The men watching didn’t even seem fazed by this. Drake had looked away by this point, looking a bit green. Vaas then calmly walked up to the last man and said something into his ear before driving the bloody machete into his throat.

There was no sign of remorse on his face as he stared down at the blood gushing from the man’s mouth and the choking sounds filling the air. In fact, Vaas looked amused at the man’s final attempt to breathe before falling limp. My wide eyes stared in shock at the bloody mess on the stage, Vaas stood among all of it. He looked proud of the mess. 

“Did you all just not fucking see that? Was that not fucking amazing?” Vaas asked the men standing around. They nodded but Vaas just rolled his eyes like their opinions didn’t even matter anyway. “Can you all clean this shit up? It’s disgusting,” he said, hopping off the stage.

I looked over at Drake and Eden; they both seemed to be feeling something. Disgust, sorrow, horror, fear. I could feel all of those feelings stirring deep inside me but in general, I just felt numb. The sights were disturbing but I just didn’t feel anything. Perhaps it was shock; maybe it hadn’t taken its toll on me yet. I should feel remorse for those innocents who were just killed but instead, I felt guilty for not being remorseful.

But I did feel fear when Vaas started to make his way over to us again. My hands clenched and I tensed when I saw the bloodied machete in his hand. He gave me a crazed smirk which looked even more evil with all the blood on his hands. Eden whimpered before crying into her arm again when she saw Vaas coming, Drake was still trying to settle his stomach.

“You killed those innocent people,” I said, my voice sounding more lifeless than angry. Vaas chuckled quietly at me, kneeling down next to me while smirking at his machete. 

“Very good observation, Little Snake. I didn’t think you had it in you to figure it out,” he mocked me before softly touching the blade. I watched him with a concerned expression as he stared at the blood on his fingers. But a quiet cry from Eden brought him back to reality. He turned to look at her before standing and going to kneel next to her. “No, no, shh, shh,” he shushed her while reaching through the cage bars to grip her chin. I glared murderously at him but he didn’t look at me. “It’s alright, don’t cry. It’s gonna be ok,” Vaas reassured her but Eden’s chin quivered anyway. 

She tried to angle her face downwards but Vaas forced her to look at him. He smeared blood on her cheek while wiping away her tears. It made it look like she was crying blood instead of tears. When Eden had calmed down somewhat, Vaas let go of her and stood.

“Well, _hermana,_ I will admit. You did take that a bit better than I expected. You’re not weak-stomached like your boyfriend over here and you’re not a crybaby like your _hermanita,_ ” Vaas said and I realized that his “show” was supposed to be some sort of test. He was trying to freak me out, scare me. I cast him a defiant and unfazed expression. _He thought it would be so easy to scare me, it’s gonna take a little more than that._

Vaas caught my look and shook his head in an amused way before walking away. It was silent between all of us again and I glanced at Eden. She looked like someone had wired her mouth shut, she had a stricken expression on her face and I could tell that the reality of where we were and what was happening was finally setting in. The blood streaks were still on her cheeks but were soon washed away with the tears that were still running down her face.

Drake’s tough guy persona (if he even had one in the first place) had completely disappeared and I could see a couple tears in his eyes too. He didn’t say anything and I didn’t know why I was expecting him to. I looked down at my lap and decided to just have some time with my thoughts. Why the hell was Vaas killing people like that? He said, “no one wants to pay for you”, does that just mean that they are of no use to Vaas? Couldn’t he just set them free instead of killing them? What was happening here?

“They’re pirates,” a hoarse voice croaked, making me jump in fright. I turned my head to the right to see a lone woman in a cage next to us. I hadn’t noticed her before but she looked half dead, even breathing looked like a hard task. It was hard to tell if she was covered in blood or if it was just sweat on her dark skin. I could see a fading tattoo on her bicep, it was a tribal one but it was a kind that I had never seen before. The woman’s voice made me look back up to her face. “They took over the island, we’re doomed.”

“What?” I asked, she sounded delirious. 

“Vaas and the pirates…they are against the Rakyat. The pirates are the evil of this island, you cannot beat them,” the woman said, coughing once. “You must leave, now. Save yourself.”

“Wait, what is the Rakyat? What are you talking about?” I asked her, trying to get information out of her before she passed out again. She looked like she was getting sleepy again judging by the way her eyes were fluttering and her body relaxed. “What are you saying?” I asked again, my voice was more desperate but the woman had already fallen into unconsciousness.

I sighed, relaxing against the uncomfortable rungs of bamboo. My wrists were still sore from me fighting to get out as was my cheek from getting hit twice. I decided to just rest instead of filling my mind with escape plans and the mystery of what the woman had said to me. I needed to heal and hopefully, when my next meal came, I would have more strength. Enough to escape and hopefully enough to handle the horrors of this camp better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Qué sorpresa: Spanish for “what a surprise”  
> Señoritas y señor: Spanish for “ladies and gentleman”  
> Hermana: Spanish for “sister”  
> Hermanita: Spanish for “little sister”


	5. You Are Worthless

Chapter 4 – You Are Worthless

_If you’re going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you’ll get locked up._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

The sound of gunshots and a scream ripped me from my sleep. My heart pounded and my gaze flickered around as I tried to find the source of the sound. Eden was woken up too and I could see that the scream hadn’t come from her. I found the commotion and saw a dead body lying at the feet of a few pirates and a few new prisoners.

 

The scream had come from a woman who was nearest the man but she didn’t seem to be hurt. I scowled, annoyed that I had been woken. My nightmares had been kept at bay that night and of course, I had been woken early.

 

The new prisoners were nothing to be interested in. They all seemed to just look the same, except for one who was a child. He was younger than Eden, I’d say twelve years old or so. The others were just normal men and women, from where I couldn’t be sure. Vaas must have already sorted through their IDs because they were being led towards the cages. They were split up but what caught my attention was a woman being led to a hut instead of a cage.

 

I watched her until she had disappeared before looking at Drake to see if he had seen what I saw. Drake was only sitting there while staring at his lap, he looked sad and I thought that maybe he had been thinking about Adonis and Nate. I decided to leave him be instead of disturbing his thoughts. It was assumed that they had both died during the storm since they weren’t in any of the cages and they hadn’t turned up in the past three days we’ve been here.

My gaze didn’t turn away from the hut that the woman had disappeared in and just as I was about to look away out of boredom, the woman exited. The same pirate was walking her towards the cages but the woman looked slightly beat up. She had tears rushing down her cheeks and I could see that her cheek was slightly bruised, like she had been punched. I couldn’t help my curiosity but from where I sat, I couldn’t see into the hut. I wasn’t sure what had happened in there but it hadn’t been good.

 

The woman was put into a cage and tied up like any other prisoner and then a man was taken out of a cage. He was led to the hut like the woman. The same thing happened; the man came out crying and bruised. This process continued until almost all of the prisoners that had just shown up had had their turn in the hut. Drake still hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on around him but Eden had taken notice. Her worried eyes tried to process what was happening to no avail.

 

It wasn’t until a pirate had come over to our cage and began to untie Drake that I had begun to really worry. He went without a fight, not seeming to care about what happened to him. Eden and I just watched him go with wide eyes, not able to do anything to help him.

“Ronnie, where’s he going?” Eden asked but I couldn’t answer her. I didn’t know the answer.

 

Drake was in there for a shorter amount of time and when he came out, he wasn’t bruised or bloody. He just had the same defeated expression on his face and perhaps he looked a little sadder. I watched him carefully as the pirate tied him back up, waiting for him to say something but he remained silent. His silence scared me, it was worse than him saying that something bad was happening in there.

 

I was pulled from my thoughts as the pirate began to untie me from the cage. My eyes widened and I wasn’t quite sure what to do as the man started to pull me towards the hut. Fear had seized me and all I could do was let myself be dragged by the arm. I didn’t know how to react.

 

“Ronnie! No, please! Ronnie!” I heard Eden calling from behind me. I turned my head to look behind me to see her terrified blue eyes watching me go.

 

“I’ll be fine, Eden! Don’t worry,” I called back even though I wasn’t completely sure if I was telling the truth or not. The other men and women had come out of the hut with only bruises and tears, maybe a little blood. But none of them had been seriously injured so I hoped that I would be alright.

 

When I entered the hut, the only lighting was a dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling and the light coming in from a window. The room was pretty dim and all that was in it was a table and a chair. As my eyes adjusted, I could see better. But I almost wished that I hadn’t been able to see what else waited for me in the hut. Vaas was standing by the table with a smile that sent shivers down my spine and fear pooling in my stomach. I could see him holding something in his hand but I wasn’t sure what it was.

 

The pirate sat me down in the chair before tying my hands to the handles of the chair. I could feel Vaas’ eyes on me and when I met their gaze I glared at him. He had a strange smug and excited look on his face; I tried to keep the fear off my own face in hopes of looking brave. I couldn’t be sure if I was succeeding or not. When the pirate had finished tying me up to the chair, Vaas spoke up.

 

“Look what we have here, _una serpiente_ ,” he said, motioning for the pirate to leave who obeyed. I tried to wriggle my hands out of my bonds but they were tied tightly, the rope brought more pain to my still healing wrists so I stopped. “Uh-uh, you’re not slithering your way out of this, Black Mamba,” Vaas said, shaking a finger at me and walking closer. I ignored the strange nickname like I had the first time he used it and focused on what he had in his hand.

 

I realized that it was only a video-camera. I could feel slight relief spread through me, surely he couldn’t hurt me with a camera, but I tensed with fear as Vaas neared me. Still, the mystery to what he was going to do with the camera lingered.

 

“What are you doing?” I asked, satisfied with my strong tone. Vaas didn’t answer me at first, instead, he pulled a chair out that had been behind the table and placed it in front of me but backwards. He straddled it and leaned towards me, resting his chest on the back of the chair. I leaned back, feeling as if we would be too close.

 

“As you might have known, I am in a business called the ‘human-trafficking business’. You know what that is, don’t you, Veronica?” he asked me and I waited for a moment, making sure it was a serious question before answering. I nodded and Vaas continued. “So, for the sake of my business, I must think of the best ways to make money. And that is to get it from the source. From the merchandise!” Vaas exclaimed as if it had just dawned on him even though he was explaining it to me.

 

“And the thing is, it works every time. Every single fucking time, Cosima. Isn’t that fucking crazy?” he asked me but this time, he didn’t wait for an answer. “Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?” he asked but I cut him off.

 

“What the _fuck_ are you talking about? Are you ever going to actually tell me what you are planning to do?” I asked in an exasperated tone. At first, Vaas looked annoyed and agitated that I had stopped his rant. Anger was brewing in his eyes but he seemed to calm himself, putting a smile on his face.

 

“Thank you for that wonderful insight, Little Snake. What I am planning to do is ransom you,” he said and I raised an eyebrow at him, a bit confused. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it sure wasn’t ransom. “You see, all I have to do is get you to cry and maybe put a little scratch on you, maybe get you to beg.” A smirk curved at his mouth in a vulgar way. “And then send the video to your parents. Then the money starts coming in by the thousands. It’s fucking stupid how much money a parent will pay for their child.”

 

I had to wait for Vaas to stop talking so that I could speak up. I had relaxed more now that I knew he would not hurt me (too much) and that this whole ransom situation could be easily avoided. But that also meant that I wasn’t going home.

 

“You can’t ransom me,” I said simply and Vaas chuckled, turning on the camera so that the little red light was on to show that it was recording.

 

“I don’t think you understand, Veronica. I’m in charge here and you belong to me. I fucking own you so shut the fuck up and start fucking begging for your pathetic life,” Vaas nearly shouted at me. I grit my teeth at his insult but refused to show that I was intimidated by him.

“No, it’s you that doesn’t fucking understand. My parents are fucking dead! You can’t do the ransom!” I yelled and Vaas paused, giving me a strange look.

 

“Grandparents? Aunts? Uncles? Brothers? Sisters? Cousins?” he asked but I shook my head, not breaking eye contact with him. He still looked confused, as if the fact that I had no relatives was absurd.

 

“I don’t have anyone, ok? Just my sister and she’s trapped in this fucking hell with me,” I said with a scowl, glaring down at my legs. I looked up when I realized that Vaas wasn’t speaking, I could see the anger in his eyes and it was clear that he was trying to control it. But in the end, his temper won out.

 

“Are you _fucking_ _ㅡ_!” he yelled, standing up and shoving his chair out of the way. I watched as it clattered to the floor but my attention was pulled away from it as I felt a hand wrap around my throat for the second time since I arrived at the camp.

 

My eyes widened in surprise and I could feel my air supply quickly diminishing as Vaas squeezed harder on my windpipe.

 

“You are fucking worthless, Cosima! I should just fucking end your uselessness right now, do you know how fucking easy that is? Huh?” he yelled at me as I struggled to breathe. As my vision began to darken, Vaas finally let go.

 

Watching me choke seemed to calm him down and he glared down at me as I sputtered, taking in deep breaths of air. Vaas was silent while I caught my breath and he finally spoke up when I was able to breathe normally again. The rage that had been in his eyes was now gone and I was surprised that his mood had changed so quickly.

 

“It’s okay, I’m okay, I’m chill, _hermana_. You know what, I’m actually going to keep you,” he said, turning to pick up his chair and sit on it again. I watched him in a guarded way, wary of what he would do next. My throat ached slightly from being grabbed so roughly. When he reached forward again, I flinched away but he just touched my cheek lightly. I didn’t try to bite him this time and it made him smile. “You and your _hermanita_ could be quite useful in my camp. And of course, when your usefulness has run its course, you’ll always be worth money afterwards.” His smirk made me uneasy. I still wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about.

 

“Your precious little sister will be worth less after having her cherry popped, no? But I can live with that,” he said and my whole body tensed with rage.

 

“ _Marcire all'inferno!”_ I yelled with all the anger I could muster at the time but Vaas barely even moved a muscle. “ _Porco schifoso,”_ I added on with a growl and Vaas was clueless to what I had said. He just sighed and leaned back, relaxing against the back of his chair.

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand your insults,” he merely said and I grit my teeth.

 

“Let me put this in a simpler language for you then. _Espero que usted se quema en el infierno, hijo de puta,”_ I snarled and Vaas’ eyes narrowed for the slightest second before he smiled. I couldn’t even be sure if he looked angry but he was now somewhat happy so I would take that over his rage.

 

“Now we’re talking! I never thought I’d hear you speak in Spanish again, _mi pequeña serpiente_. You seem to be hung up on that silly, Italian talk,” he commented and I didn’t say anything back. I settled for glaring at him and he stared back, seeming as if he was waiting for something to come out of my mouth. When I said nothing, he sniffed and began on a different topic. This time, he leaned in extra close and I had to turn my face in the other direction in fear that our faces would touch.

 

Being this close to a crazy murderer made me almost terrified. I could feel my heart pounding and his hot breath floated across the skin of my cheek and my neck. It made me uncomfortable to be so close to someone, especially with me being so vulnerable. There was nothing I could do but sit there and wait for him to back away.

 

“Are you a virgin, _hermosa?”_ Vaas asked me, slowly and quietly into my ear. I shivered at the way his words rolled off his tongue and his mouth so close to my ear. He began to softly rub his thumb across my cheek and then down my neck. I closed my eyes in slight content, enjoying the way his fingers caressed my skin. But I quickly snapped myself out of it, remembering where I was and who he was. I jerked away from his hand as if it had burned my skin, ignoring the smug look on his face. He had felt me relax under his touch.

 

“Come on, _bella_. You can tell me,” he cooed, staying close to my face but he didn’t try to touch me again. I refused to open my mouth. “I have many other ways to get that pretty mouth of yours to open...” he trailed off, slowly dragging a finger from the base of my neck and down the center of my chest. I tried to get away from his hand but I couldn’t get anywhere while tied to a chair.

 

Oh, how I wanted to beg. To beg for him to leave me alone and to never touch me again. To beg for my life and the safety of my sister. To just leave this place and go home. But I knew he would have no mercy. He had demonstrated his lack of mercy before, like on that stage with those men. And over the three more days we’ve been here, I had seen more horrors. Things I wish to have forgotten. People were tortured until they died here. Sobs and screams were a normal sound to these men. They were never bothered by it.

 

But I knew I couldn’t beg because that would make me look weak. I would just be written off as another prisoner who put up no fight in the say of her future. I couldn’t let that happen. I would get out of here with Eden no matter what and Vaas couldn’t stop me. I wouldn’t let him break me with simple words and threats.

 

The words “please” and “don’t” almost slipped through my lips but I switched them out at the last minute.

 

“Get the fuck off me. It is none of your damn business whether I’m a virgin or not, so get your filthy hands off me,” I growled, satisfied with how strong my voice sounded. Vaas seemed to think that I was putty in his hands; he thought he would get the answer out of me quickly with no fuss but my answer surprised him as well as made him angry. To finalize my response, I spat on his face.

 

Vaas was silent for a moment, wiping my spit off of his face with one hand. He almost seemed calm and he almost had me fooled but this was the calm before the storm.

 

“Motherfucking… _FUCK!_ ” Vaas yelled rather loudly. I flinched slightly, leaning away from him to not get caught in the crossfire of his temper.

 

But unluckily for me, I was the reason for his anger and he jumped up from his chair, unintentionally knocking it to the ground. Before I could react, there was an intense and aching pain in my cheek. Vaas had punched me. I held in a groan, gritting my teeth as I waited for the pain to fade away. Vaas could hit hard. The pain became more bearable and I looked up to see Vaas stalking towards me with a glinting knife.

 

My eyes widened in fear as they had when I entered the hut and I squirmed in my seat, trying but failing to get out of the tight ropes. I tried to brace myself for any pain but instead, I felt my bonds being cut away. I blinked in confusion, not quite sure what Vaas was doing. But I was soon free, Vaas crushing my bicep in his grip as he dragged me outside of the hut. When we were a few yards away from the hut, we had caught most of the pirates’ attention.

 

Vaas threw me to the ground roughly, glaring down at me angrily. I grunted as I hit the ground and didn’t have time to react to being free of my bonds before two pirates had me by my arms.

 

“Put this _bitch_ back in her fucking cage,” Vaas snarled, exaggerating the word bitch as if I disgusted him. I returned the glare he gave me before I was dragged away, back towards my prison.

 

My mind was still trying to catch up with what had happened. The events had all happened so quickly in such a short span of time. Was Vaas always like this? Mood swings and fast paced reactions? It was like treading on thin ice or walking on eggshells. You had to be careful not to bring out the worst in Vaas though it was so easy. Even out of the long, few days I’ve been in this camp, I’ve seen Vaas get angry at simple mistakes and things that seemed insignificant.

 

His temper made me question just how composed and collected Vaas really was.

 

The pirates made sure to tie my hands back above my head in the same spot I was in before and Eden examined me, looking for injuries. Drake only glanced at me when I came back into the cage and continued to wallow in his sadness. Eden’s blue eyes were still wide with fear even though the pirates had not come to take her into the hut. There was no need; she had no parents and no one to send money for her.

 

“Ronnie, what happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Eden asked, her tone worried and concerned. I gave her a small nod.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered, still not really sure what had happened. I could feel Eden’s worried gaze on my bruising cheek but she didn’t say anything else.

 

My eyes found Vaas again and I saw that he was still angry from our encounter. There had been a pair of pirates who were loading some cocaine onto a truck bed and apparently Vaas thought they were taking too long. So the pirates moved out of his way and let him help load the truck. They were aware of their leader’s foul mood but seemed to not care. They just made sure they weren’t in the way.

 

Without realizing what I was doing, my eyes were watching the way that Vaas’ biceps flexed as he picked up and put down the heavy cargo. His muscles almost seemed to ripple under his tan skin and the sweat was shining on his skin in the sunlight. It was mesmerizing.

 

I blinked and pulled myself away from the short daydream. I looked to the dirt beneath me and tried to feel just a little shameful for finding my captor attractive. But now that I thought about it, what woman couldn’t find Vaas not attractive? When he wasn’t being his psychotic self, he was a muscular and toned man who managed to survive in the jungle. Hadn’t that been the topic of a couple of movies?

 

Vaas himself was a handsome man. Despite his scar that cut across his face and the other multiple scars on his shaven head, Vaas was good-looking. I would give him that. The intensity in those almost hazel eyes was something else to be curious and attracted to.

But Vaas was crazy. He was a monster and I couldn’t ignore or deny that. Any thoughts on any type of attraction I had to him was immediately cut from my mind. I couldn’t focus on that, I had to escape with Eden. I must have been going crazy as well to even think about Vaas in that way.

 

Later that night, a few men and women were taken out of their cages. At first, I wondered where they were going but soon their screams of pain and gunshots were heard. That brought me back to reality of the situation. I thought myself to be insane to be contemplating feelings while in a hell like this.

 

Even later that night, a woman had a panic attack. She was sobbing uncontrollably and wouldn’t shut her mouth. The pirate who was standing guard that night finally had it and knocked the woman out. Even though I hated to admit it, I was glad. The crying had gotten annoying and I honestly didn’t care for the woman’s problems. This also made me feel insane, was I really losing all concern for others? What was happening to me?

 

X

 

_I opened the front door gingerly, not sure if my father was home or not. He hadn’t come home for a week or two now and now it seemed like he was going to sneak up out of nowhere and get me. I was scared by the slightest movements now and the shadows frightened me. I heard the TV softly humming in the living room but when I looked closer, it was only Eden. She gave me a small smile which I tried to return but it felt fake and forced._

 

_I heard the sound of the fridge opening and closing before the release of air from opening a carbonated bottle. I knew that either Mason or my father was home. I guessed it was Mason since Eden seemed somewhat in high spirits. I glanced into the kitchen to see Mason sitting at the table drinking a beer. Beside him on the table were a few other beer bottles, evidence that he had been drinking before._

 

_Instead of messing with Mason, I decided to join Eden in the living room. I sat next to her on the couch, not paying attention to the cartoon on the screen. I wrapped an arm around her side, pulling her closer to me and she snuggled into my side. Something caught my eye and I looked down at her arm to see fingerprint bruises on her bicep. My eyebrows drew together as I examined them, they looked new and I hadn’t seen them before. It must have been Mason._

 

_Eden pulled her arm out of my soft grip, making it clear she didn’t want to talk about it. I let her. We were both silent for a moment before she spoke up._

 

_“Ronnie, when’s Daddy coming home?” she asked and my jaw tightened. I began to slowly stroke her long, brunette locks as I thought of an answer. She was looking up at me with those innocent pools of blue that longed for the truth, which I would most likely not give to her._

_“He’s not coming home.” Mason’s voice stopped me just as I opened my mouth. Both of us turned to look at the entryway to the living room to see Mason swaying on his feet, a half empty beer bottle in his hand. He put a hand on the wall to steady himself. Eden turned to me for confirmation but I just stared at Mason with a confused expression._

 

_“What do you mean?” I asked, not sure how I felt about our father not coming home. Eden realized that I knew as much as she did and looked back to Mason for answers. As he stumbled forward, she buried herself into my side even more. My arm tightened around her for comfort._

 

_“That no good, son of a bitch is gone. He’s not coming back. Ever. He left. He hates us all,” Mason explained, taking swig of beer. “Especially you.” Mason pointed a finger at me that drifted slightly to the right._ “Voi poveri puttana, _” he added on in a seething tone and my eyes narrowed at him._

 

_“How do you know he’s not coming back?” I asked, keeping my brave face on. Mason suddenly lost his temper without warning, throwing his beer bottle at me. Luckily, he was drunk so his aim was off and the bottle hit the wall above me. Beer splashed everywhere and the glass was shattered all over the couch. Eden let out a short scream at the sound of glass breaking, holding her arms over her head even though I was helping protect her from the fall glass._

 

_“Weren’t you listening? I said he’s never coming back!” he yelled, storming forward and grabbing me by the bicep. My eyes widened in fear and I couldn’t move as he dragged me to my feet, shaking me slightly as if it would knock some sense into my head. “Check his damn room! All his stuff is fucking gone!” A couple more shakes. Eden whimpered while pressing herself against the couch cushions as if she could disappear. “He left! Just get that through your fucking brain!” Mason yelled louder this time, throwing me to the ground._

 

_I cried out in pain as I fell on the hard-edged, wooden, coffee table. My back landed on the edge and I let out a whine as I slid into a sitting position against the table. Eden put her face in her hands while softly crying into them. Mason just sniffed and wiped his mouth before leaving the room. I groaned and put a hand to my back, feeling the muscles that were probably bruised where I had fallen. Eden was suddenly curled into my side again, looking for comfort which I provided._

 

_But there was an emptiness inside my chest that kept reminding me that I didn’t have any parents. Not anymore._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Una serpiente: Spanish for “a snake”  
> Hermana: Spanish for “sister”  
> Hermanita: Spanish for “little sister”  
> Marcire all'inferno: Italian for “rot in hell”  
> Porco schifoso: Italian for “disgusting pig”  
> Espero que usted se quema en el infierno, hijo de puta: Spanish for “I hope you burn in hell, bastard”  
> Mi pequeña serpiente: Spanish for “my little snake”  
> Hermosa: Spanish for “beautiful”  
> Bella: Spanish for “beautiful”  
> Voi poveri puttana: Italian for “you poor whore”


	6. Anything for My Sister

Chapter 5 – Anything for My Sister

_The iniquitous Serpent brought destruction to the beautiful Eden and its light was to never be seen again by human eyes._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

Another day had passed and night had already set in. The whole day I had been scheming a way out, knowing what awaited me and Eden if we stayed here any longer. I knew we would have to wait until night and we would have to be sneaky. After the little ransom episode with Vaas, the pirate that tied me up didn’t tie the ropes around my wrists as tight as the last pirate. I knew that I would be able to get my hands out if I tried hard enough.

 

Unlocking the cage door had taken me awhile to figure out but spending so many hours staring at my surroundings, I spotted a bobby pin just outside our cage. It was no doubt left behind by some girl. I could use it to pick the lock and we would be able to sneak out. I didn’t know the area outside of the cages but I knew that if we stuck close to the fence, we should be able to find a hole or maybe climb over. Without getting caught of course.

 

Everything happened as normal, the guard smoked for a bit before falling asleep and I was able to work my hands out of the ropes. Eden watched me with wide eyes and my unusual movement caught Drake’s attention. I hadn’t told either of them about my plan; it would have put us more at risk of getting caught if someone heard.

 

The first thing I did when I was free was rub my wrists, quickly examining the blisters and small scabs there before crawling over to Eden. She didn’t object to me untying her but she did look around to make sure there wasn’t a pirate around.

 

“Ronnie, what are we doing?” she asked quietly but I shushed her. I untied Drake’s hands and he rubbed his wrists too. I stared at the guard for a moment, making sure he hadn’t somehow woken up.

 

“We’re getting out of here,” I told Eden, grabbing the bobby pin and beginning to pick the lock.

 

“You are fucking crazy, we’ll get killed. They’re swarming the place, we could get caught!” Drake whisper-yelled at me but I ignored him, continuing to pick the lock. When I heard it click open, I turned to look at him.

 

“You can stay here if you like, but I’m not about to sit here and do nothing while my life is at stake. I’m just warning you, you will either die here or worse,” I said, cautiously opening the door while keeping my eyes on the guard. He didn’t move and I opened the door wide enough for Eden to get out. “Come on,” I whispered to her, exiting the cage after her.

 

Drake seemed to be stuck between the idea of staying in the “safety” of the cage or having a chance of leaving this place. I could understand him though, in the cage, you were safe from harm, if you were taken out of the cage; something bad was going to happen. But either one was a death wish. Just as I made a move to close the door, thinking he wasn’t coming, Drake crawled forward and slipped through the opening. We met eyes and he nodded, assuring me that he would stick with us.

 

I began to move slowly forward, towards a line of huts that we could hide behind. Eden and Drake followed, crouching down low with me. I would have compared our escape to an action movie but everything was real here, there was no acting. We would die with one little slip up and that would be the end of it. No retakes or editing. This was real.

 

Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as we continued to make our way, undetected, behind the huts, through alleyways and small weed gardens. My heart was pounding in my ears and I tried to ignore it and listen for any sign of pirates near us. I knew that Eden was scared out of her wits; she was crouching as close to me as she could get. I could practically feel the heat coming off of her skin when we would pause and listen for anyone. Drake stayed fairly close too but I didn’t worry too much about him.

 

We silently sneaked past a group of pirates that had been drinking and putting god knows what into their bloodstreams. They were too high to notice us but we stayed as quiet as we could. I knew that the compound was pretty big to say the least and I knew that there had to be some hole in the fence somewhere but we had only come across a few spaces that were too tiny for even Eden to squeeze through. I hoped that we found a way out soon because someone had to notice sooner or later that we were gone.

 

After five long, excruciating minutes of wandering, I paused behind a hut. The alley between the next hut and where we were was pretty large and I knew it would be risky to cross. I peeked around the corner, checking for pirates or anyone who was near. A soft gasp escaped my lips when I saw two pirates standing by the entrance of the alleyway and I hid behind the hut, Eden clenching my arm in terror. Drake’s eyes were shining with fear as well and I nodded my head to reassure them both that we hadn’t been spotted.

 

I discreetly looked around the hut again, watching the pirates’ backs as they stood there with their guns in hand. Crossing to the next hut should be easy if they stayed turned around but we were screwed if one came back here. Upon examining the pirates longer, I realized that a dog was lying at their feet, tied to one of the huts. I bit my tongue to keep from cussing. Adding the dog into the equation made things a million times harder.

 

“Ronnie!” I heard Eden’s whisper and I turned to see her and Drake huddled by a section of the fence that was chain link.

 

Drake was in the process of pulling the fence up so that Eden had enough space to fit under. It seemed as if someone or something had already tried to escape through here and no one had bothered to fix their handiwork. I hoped whoever it was made it out.

 

“Alright, try to squeeze under,” Drake said quietly to Eden, his weakened muscles straining to make a space big enough for Eden to fit under. Since Eden was smaller than both of us, I knew that she could possibly get through with enough time and patience (things I wasn’t sure any of us had). I knew that Drake and I would either have to climb over the fence or find another way out.

 

Eden tried to squeeze under the fence but the hole wasn’t deep enough and Drake wasn’t able to make the fence hole any wider. She began to dig and dirt caked itself into her fingernails and her ivory skin that looked even paler in the moonlight. Both Drake and I turned to see if the pirates had heard or noticed us yet. They hadn’t. We were out in the open by the fence, someone could easily spot us and we’d have to be quick if we wanted to escape.

 

“Speed it up, Eden,” I said through grit teeth. Eden had lain on her stomach and went headfirst through the fence. She seemed to have given up on making the hole deeper and settled for trying to get through by force.

 

“I’m trying, Ronnie,” Eden whispered back, grunting a bit as she tried to wriggle through but her shoulders were making the process harder. For a moment, I worried about her dress getting caught on the fence but that wasn’t a problem at the moment.

 

Drake’s strength was beginning to fail and the fence was lowering onto Eden’s back, slowing her down again. Drake whispered a quick apology and I went over to help him lift it again. Eden was barely over a quarter through the fence now and I kept my eyes on the pirates. They hadn’t heard anything and neither had the dog.

 

The sound of Eden’s horrified squeak and gasp filled the air and me and Drake looked down at her to see what had happened. All three of us watched as a rather large snake slithered its way closer to Eden. Eden’s eyes were wide and her whole body went rigid as she stared at the snake.

 

“Eden, just stay calm. Don’t move and don’t make any noises,” I said softly, knowing she could blow our cover if she screamed. Eden wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of scaly reptiles.

 

But already, we were running out of luck. The dog had heard Eden’s squeak of fear and he was staring in our direction. I hoped that the darkness kept us hidden but it didn’t seem likely. The whole compound was lit by large lights that could easily illuminate us. Eden still didn’t move, the snake must have just been passing by; it didn’t seem to want anything to do with her. Still, at the close proximity of the snake, Eden was not happy.

 

“Eden, you have to move,” I whispered but she refused, not wanting to get any closer to the snake. Drake had caught onto my panic and stared at the dog that had begun sniffing the air. “Eden!” I said a bit louder. She was in a bit of a trance and in shock so I nudged her foot, trying to snap her out of it.

 

The dog heard me that time and low growls filled the air as he became completely aware of our presence. The pirates looked down at the dog in confusion, wondering what he was growling at. Eden realized what was going on and tried to quickly get out. The dog’s growls turned into barks when he saw Eden’s movement and the pirates whipped around, spotting us. We must have looked like deer in headlights.

 

“What the fuck?” one said.

 

“Hey! Prisoners are escaping!” the other yelled, catching the attention of other pirates. Eden tried to move even faster through the fence, the snake ironically moving on and out of Eden’s way.

 

“Shit!” I hissed, trying to pull up the fence higher so that Eden would be able to fit through easier but her struggling made it harder. I wasn’t even sure if she would’ve been able to get out under the fence anyway if we had the precious time. “C’mon, c’mon,” I said, trying to ensure Eden’s safety but the pirates had run over to us.

 

Drake and I were forced to let go of the fence to attempt to fight off the two pirates and Eden cried out as the bottom of the fence fell down on top of her. I got one punch in on a pirate before he hit me in the head with his gun. Drake tried to help me but more pirates were suddenly on us. Drake surrendered to the pirates once he saw how outnumbered he was but I kept fighting which was enough to get me knocked around a bit. While I was recovering from a rather big hit from someone’s gun, they tied my hands and retrieved Eden from under the fence. She was trapped under there so it was easy to get her.

 

“Get off of me! Let go!” I heard Eden shout as the pirates pulled her to her feet and tried to grab her wrists. To two pirates, a barely one hundred pound girl was nothing and they had her tied up in no time. Drake had given up, I don’t know why I had expected him to fight the pirates but it was almost disappointing to see such a defeated human being. Opposite of Drake, I fought and pulled against my tied wrists and the pirates who were now marching us towards one of the large open areas around the compound.   

 

To our horror, there stood Vaas, his arms crossed over his chest and his lips pursed in a half smug half disappointed look. I dug my heels into the dirt at the sight of him, trying to push myself back and away from him but the pirates just dragged me forward. Drake and Eden both had fear in their eyes as they were shoved to their knees in front of Vaas. I had to be forced, my knees bending unwillingly.

 

Vaas didn’t even give Drake and Eden a second look; instead, he made his way right over in front of me and leaned towards my face so that I felt inclined to lean back.

 

“If you’re going to escape, _hermana_ , you’re going to have to try a lot harder than that,” he said with a strange, crazed expression swirling in his eyes that made me nervous. The expression seemed to bring out the flecks of brown in his eyes, making him look even more intense than he already was. His words almost made me feel like he had known about my plan the whole time.

 

“You see that, Cosima? That?” He was pointing to where we had tried to escape. His voice was rising and he was becoming more animated with his words. “That was fucking pathetic. You want to survive on this island, you’re gonna have to be smart. You’re gonna have to be _inteligente_. Or you’re gonna be fucked.”

 

I gazed up at him in slight confusion at the intensity of his words. His anger seemed to be being fueled by something else; his words had a double meaning. I didn’t know what it was but it scared me a bit.

 

“You try that again, Veronica, you won’t get away because you’re expecting this result to change. Am I right? You do this shit again; you’re never going to get away. Because that’s insanity, right?”

 

“ _You’re_ insane! Please, just let us go!” Eden spoke up, her voice strong but it wavered towards the end.

 

Vaas straightened up and turned to look at Eden as if he couldn’t believe that she had spoken to him. He looked as if he hadn’t even seen her before; like she was someone he had forgotten and not bothered to remember.

 

“So the little _flor_ has a voice, I thought your sister had taken it,” he said, slowly walking closer to Eden. Eden’s small stroke of confidence seemed to be gone and she shrunk down to make herself look even smaller than she already was.

 

After a moment of silence, Eden spoke up again.

 

“Please, let us go. We want to go home,” she pleaded, tears in her eyes. Vaas crouched down in front of Eden and slowly stroked her cheek to calm her.

 

“Shh, _flor_. Don’t cry, okay?” he said softly and I was surprised that he even possessed the ability to talk that quietly. “Everything is going to be okay. But I can’t let you go.” His words began another round of tears for Eden and Vaas shushed her again. “We’re gonna have so much fun, _hermanita_. Don’t you worry,” he finished with a smile and a soft poke on her nose. He stood up again and took his place in front of all three of us.

 

“But...I think that some punishment is in line for you three. I mean, we can’t have other prisoners following your example, can we? That would be fucking annoying. So…who’s up first?” he asked, turning to Eden with a growing glint in his eyes that only meant trouble.

 

“Wait! Wait, let me take her place. Please, don’t hurt her. I’ll take her punishment,” I interjected, a tiny hint of desperateness in my voice. Eden and Drake stared at me in surprise and immediately voiced their protests.

 

“Veronica, no!”

 

“Ronnie, don’t. I can handle this myself.”

 

Eden was ready to say more but Vaas interrupted her with quiet, crazed chuckling. I turned to look at him with concerned eyes and he was running a hand over his scarred head while laughing.

 

“ _Lo siento, serpiente. Pero_ , you’re doing it again.” He paused and his smile melted off his face at the sight of my confusion. His eyes clouded with frustration and he clenched a fist. “You’re being an idiot, Veronica,” he clarified while half growling. He quickly reached forward and grabbed Eden by the back of her neck and hauled her next to him. I tensed in fear and Eden squeaked while standing completely still.

 

“Look at her, look at her, Veronica. She’s your family, right? Right? And you’d do anything for your family, for your sister, right?” I nodded to answer his question, not knowing what else to do while Eden stayed frozen in fear. Vaas looked even more agitated at my answer and his grip tightened on the nape of Eden’s neck.

 

“You want to survive, huh, Veronica? You want to fucking live? _This_ ,” he shook my fragile sister in his hand, “this will kill you. You see, once, I would do anything for my sister too. And look where that almost got me.” Vaas had a sister? He didn’t specify “where” his sister had almost gotten him but I assumed it was death. He didn’t elaborate after that either which left me questioning if perhaps his sister had something to do with this craziness. I couldn’t dwell on this new fact because his next sentence had me wondering as well.

 

“No, no, no. I’m gonna relax, this is gonna be fun. I’m going to have fun. Cosima, since I am so nice and because I think you need to learn a fucking lesson, I’m going to let you take your sweet little sister’s place. And then we’ll see what you think about your _hermanita_ then.”

 

X

 

_I ran down the street towards our house as fast as I could, hoping that Eden was home and not lost or kidnapped. She was supposed to wait outside of her school for me to come and walk her home but she hadn’t been there when I came to get her. If she had been older, I might not have a problem with her walking home by herself but she was only nine years old. I didn’t think that a third grader would be fit to walk home by herself especially without telling anyone._

 

_When I reached the front door, it was unlocked so I just yanked it open. I hadn’t stopped running, so I skidded to a stop, looking around the foyer and briefly in the kitchen only to find that Eden was not there._

 

_“Eden?” I called, still looking around to see if she would appear out of thin air. I ran into the living room and had to forcefully stop myself when I saw her tiny little form huddled up on the couch. I breathed a sigh of relief, brushing my hair back out of my face. I noticed that she looked rather sad; she clutched her stuffed animal that was a giraffe in her arms while curling up into a small ball._

 

_I almost gave her a smile but then I remembered that she was supposed to be in trouble._

 

_“Do you know what kind of danger you put yourself through today?” I asked her in a louder voice than I anticipated. She looked up at me with pleading blue eyes but I refused to let my anger die down. She had to know what she had done. “Answer me, Eden! Do you know what could have happened to you today?” I asked but Eden just averted her eyes from me. She began to get up and walk towards the stairs but I grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving._

 

_She tried to pull her arm out of my grip but I was much stronger than her. She settled for looking away from me and leaning as far away as possible from me._

 

_“You could have been hurt! Kidnapped! Stolen! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” I yelled, my grip tightening on her arm. Again, Eden didn’t answer me. “Do you want to be taken away from me?” I asked in an exasperated and loud voice. Eden stayed silent and I scowled while rolling my eyes. I let her arm go before taking a seat down on the floor and sighing loudly. Surprisingly, Eden didn’t run up to her room. “You are so annoying,” I said and she glared at me with tears in her eyes._

 

_“Well maybe it would be better if I was stolen! You could buy a giraffe instead!” she yelled, backing away from me and towards the stairs while squeezing the life out of her poor stuffed giraffe. I raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. A giraffe? I knew her favorite animals were giraffes but I wasn’t expecting her to say that. My confusion was washed away by my returning annoyance and anger._

 

_“At least the giraffe wouldn’t walk home from school by herself!” I yelled back as she continued to ascend up the stairs._

 

_“Then you’d finally be happy because you and the giraffe could be stupid together!” she yelled, getting closer to her room. I had gotten to my feet and was now at the bottom of the stairs._

 

_“Go to your room!” I ordered and she threw open her door with such force that it banged against the wall._

 

_“I’m already going!” she screamed before slamming the door on me._

 

X

 

Pain was something that I had grown accustomed to, it was always present in my head, brought on by the haunting memories that happened some time ago, and it was usually present physically. So I was a little prepared for what was coming but I can assure you, the heat of fire can take anyone by surprise. Literally.

 

I wasn’t sure who came up with the idea of using fire as my punishment, the pirates or Vaas, but their mind was cruel. The pirates themselves were the ones who inflicted the torture and though it seemed like a stupid question to ask, I wondered why Vaas hadn’t been the one torturing me. I hadn’t been in this compound for long but from what I had seen, I would think that Vaas would be more than willing to be the source of my pain.

 

But he just stood by and watched while smoking a cigar with a slight wrinkle in his forehead that showed he was deep in thought about something.

 

I didn’t even bother to try and hold back my screams with this heated torture. Fire was painful and I couldn’t withstand it. My screams echoed through the compound, alerting anyone nearby of what was happening. Though most didn’t care.

 

The fire licked up the skin on my right forearm in a slow and tortuous way, scorching and scarring the skin beneath it. Some of it even slithered onto my hand and fingers like some sort of vicious serpent intent on burning away my skin. I began to wonder, between my cries of pain and dry sobs, if my arm would ever be useable again.

 

My question was answered when Vaas ordered for it to stop. The pirates looked a bit surprised at the order but followed it nonetheless. Were they expecting my whole arm to be burnt? Was I being shown mercy? I didn’t care; the fire was gone with a bucket of water which stung like a motherfucker.

 

My forearm was blistering already, my skin an angry red as well as a bit black in spots that had endured the heat the longest. I noticed peeling and the fact that my skin was going to shed a layer was clear. I wanted more of that cool water on my arm but none was given to me. Blood also joined in the mess and seeped from my skin, adding to the redness.

 

Eden was sobbing, forced to watch by a pirate holding her in her place. She kept saying things to reassure me that it was going to be okay but it was pointless. I shook my head at her ridiculousness. I was still glad that I took her place though; I could never endure the sight of Eden going through this. Drake was doing his best to look away from the horrendous sight of my arm but he still shook in terror and tears soaked his cheeks.

 

Pained whimpers still escaped my mouth as I sniffled and held my arm close to me. The pirates that had held me down stepped back as Vaas neared but I ignored him, staying curled up on my knees and cradling my wounded limb.

 

He didn’t speak which I wasn’t expecting, I thought he would say something smug or cocky but he was silent. Vaas was becoming more and more unpredictable the longer I stayed around him. I quickly wiped my tears away just in case and went back to staying curled up in a ball.

 

“Get the boy,” Vaas said, his tone not as enthusiastic or motivated as it had been before. He left me in the dirt instead of tying me up but I was glad, my wrists couldn’t take the pain of a rough rope.

 

Drake struggled, cried, pleaded, whimpered and begged with everything he could muster together but he still got his punishment. He got it easy, well not easy but he got luckier than me. Off went the top halves of his ring and pinkie finger. I would have rather have gotten my fingers cut off than be burned.

 

The air smelled of blood and burnt skin, while someone normal would have gagged; we were all used to it. Drake and Eden were tied up in the cage again with orders to make sure they wouldn’t be able to get out but I was kept behind. I suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable, surrounded by pirates and Vaas.

 

“Disappear,” Vaas barked sharply and the pirates dispersed, returning to any duties they had been doing before. A few walked slower than the others, casting questionable and suspicious looks at Vaas and me.

 

Vaas crouched down in front of me like he had done many times before but this time; he didn’t need to force me to look at him. I met his eyes with my pained yet unflinching gaze.

 

“You know, Cosima. We are alike, you and me. We both have sisters that we would do anything for. But not anymore, no. No, you learned something today, _serpiente pequeña_. Your poor sister is worth nothing and that anything that you do for her is shit,” he said but I immediately shook my head.

 

“No, you’re wrong. It was worth it and I’d do it again,” I countered and Vaas gave me a glare. He suddenly reached out and grabbed my burnt arm, his rough hand scraping against my peeling skin. I cried out but he ignored me, continuing to glare.

 

“Oh really, Cosima? This was worth it? Look at your arm, it’s disgusting. You think this was worth your sister? This pain?” he growled and I didn’t answer, too focused on biting my lips against the pain. He didn’t need an answer though. “Pathetic,” he spat, yanking me to my feet by my left bicep as to not tear my raw skin anymore.

 

I thought he was going to lead me to the cages but he did the opposite. He pulled me to a wooden pole that was oddly placed in the near center of the area. He roughly pushed my back to the beam and walked behind me, tying my hands behind me. I hissed but he acted as if he hadn’t heard me.

 

At realizing that this is where I was going to be staying, I cursed inwardly. I was being separated from Eden. My eyes searched for her, pushing the searing pain out of my mind the best I could, and I spotted her among the many cages against one of the walls of the compound. My gaze also began to scan the rest of the compound; I could see a lot more things with where I was now.

 

Vaas circled back around in front of me and his expression was hardened as if he was disappointed in me. I thought he was going to speak and he seemed to think he was too, his mouth opened slightly but no words came out. He suddenly turned and walked away rather speedily, leaving me a bit befuddled.

 

But with the many questions circling my mind about his strange passion for whatever had happened with his sister, all I could think about was how the ropes around my wrists were tied quite loosely, allowing me slight comfort with my wounded arm.

 

X

 

It must have been late in the morning when the sound of a helicopter woke me from my deep sleep. I was exhausted and my body ached but my arm was in agony. I couldn’t look at my wound but I knew that it wasn’t going to be pretty. I should be glad that I was able to wiggle my fingers. I could only hope that it wouldn’t get infected as the skin started to fall off.

 

The sun was already up but the pirates were scarce, only some of them were out and about. The humidity was rising fast along with the temperature, sweat was already glistening on my skin making the dried blood there runny and drippy. I longed for a shower; I couldn’t take this disgusting feeling on my skin. Also, wearing my bathing suit for so long was not comfortable at all. I had a feeling that a storm was coming, the wind was stronger today and though it felt nice, I could feel the electricity charging in the air.

 

The noise of the helicopter woke all of the prisoners except for the few who were either too weak to move or dead. I made eye contact with Eden and we both had scared looks in our eyes. I would have said something to her to reassure her that we would be okay but she was too far away. All of the prisoners cast each other confused or frightened looks, not sure what to make of this. A helicopter was new. Maybe someone was here to rescue us? No, it couldn’t be. A bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. For some reason, I felt as if this were the opposite of salvation.

 

I looked back to Eden, memorizing the terrified and tear-streaked look she had on her face. Even though I hated to see her so scared, I needed to remember it. If I was going to die or be sold, I wouldn’t forget my sister. Her many expressions were already engraved in my brain but I felt the need to keep looking at her. I wasn’t sure why, surely this wouldn’t be the last time I saw her. Nothing could separate us. Eden was watching the skies as if it would tell her what was happening but she found nothing so she turned to me, her wide baby blue eyes filled with tears made her look like a frightened baby deer. In that moment, I could see just how young she was.

 

There is a great sacredness in tears. They are a mark of true power, something that can convey overwhelming grief, deep sorrow or unspeakable love. They can speak more powerfully than a thousand tongues. If you asked me what I thought of tears, I would say they are a mark of weakness. But when I see my baby sister, crying―really crying―it breaks my heart. The look in her eyes showed that she had no hope for us but still, there was a question that rested in those terrified blue pools that asked me if we would be ok.

 

I gave her a nod, trying to do anything that would make her feel better. The absolute terror in her eyes showed that this place was breaking her, her sanity was slowly getting sucked away and the floodgates were about to burst open. I had promised myself to keep Eden safe and I would, keeping her safe involved her state of mind. But I found that I couldn’t comfort her, not from this distance. Still, tears streamed from her eyes, yet she calmed herself.

 

I knew that she was forcing herself to believe me. She knew that the reality was that nothing could make this better but she forced herself to believe her older sister’s words. She never had a reason not to anyway. And for that, I hated myself. She trusted me so much and I knew she shouldn’t. I can’t always be right and make everything better but she refused to think anything different. She was stubborn that way, probably the only thing that we had in common besides the same parents.

 

Suddenly, the sound of a truck in the distance got louder and the truck came into view. It pulled into the compound and I watched as a couple of men dressed in yellow (a big change from staring at red for so long) along with a man who was dressed in casual business-wear. He didn’t wear red but he didn’t wear yellow either. He looked like a very important man by the way the yellow clad men surrounded him. The pirates seemed to know this man and didn’t bother paying attention to him.

 

While on the other hand, I watched as Vaas exited a hut and strolled towards the man, giving him his full attention. I noticed that Vaas didn’t seem too happy to see this man but Vaas treated him like a human being which was unusual. This man must have some importance over Vaas since he was treating him with such respect. It was odd, watching Vaas act slightly normal. Almost discomforting. I couldn’t hear their conversation except for a few random words that meant nothing and the unknown man would laugh at something every once in awhile.

 

They continued to talk as they walked over to the cages. I tensed at this, instinctively going to protect Eden but I was reminded about my incapability at the sting of my arm. I tried not to move that much after that. Eden was a picture of innocence and purity, her big eyes peering up at Vaas and that man with a panicked expression. Why was she damned here with me? She had done nothing bad; I was the one who did illegal and horrible things to protect us. Why wasn’t I the only one getting punished? Eden had nothing to do with this, she deserves a happy life.

 

I narrowed my eyes as the man began to pull out hostages, examining them before either putting them back or lining them up. Vaas just stood by, watching emotionlessly as people were picked to be sold. When the man reached Eden, I tensed again but couldn’t move. I still couldn’t hear what he was saying but it made me angry. Eden was still crying and the man wiped away some of her tears. I growled at this and tried to wriggle my hands out of the ropes without hurting myself but I failed miserably, my tongue was being crushed beneath my teeth but I kept trying to escape.

 

“Hey! Cut it out, snake!” a nearby pirate yelled before punching me in the stomach. I coughed and gasped for air, trying to recover from the blow.

 

I noticed Vaas had been watching me and when we made eye contact; he smiled slightly which enraged me even more. The man ran his hands over Eden’s body as he did to the other women who were lined up as if he were checking for injuries. He then pushed her lightly towards the line of people that would be sold. I felt my chest constrict at this in horror before I fought even harder to break free. I barely even noticed the furious words coming from my mouth and the ache coming from my now bleeding arm.

 

Another thing I hadn’t noticed was that Vaas was walking over to me, his gun in his hand. I gave him a murderous glare which didn’t falter or disappear when he reached me. He just gave me another smirk before walking behind me to untie my hands. As soon as I felt the ropes loosen, I made a run for it. But Vaas was expecting this; he grabbed my uninjured wrist and pulled me back. At the same time, he hit me on the side of my head with the butt of his gun but it wasn’t enough to knock me out.

 

“Stop fucking around, Cosima,” he growled lowly in my ear. I shook my head to get my bearings as we walked towards a big stage that Vaas used to put on “shows”, tortures and things like that. My eyes widened and I tried to fight against him but he was too strong.

 

“Vaas, I’m about done here. I’ve missed my home, haven’t been there for awhile now,” the man from the helicopter said, walking towards us. Vaas stopped and I was forced to stop with him. I noticed he had an accent, perhaps some type of African accent? I saw interest spark in his eyes when he saw me and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well, who’s this little pretty thing?” the man asked with an evil smile. I growled at him while he took in my appearance. He reached out to touch my burned arm but I yanked away.

 

“What on earth have you done to her, Vaas? I would take her with me but, you seem to have broken her beyond repair. It’s a shame; I would have gotten some serious cash for her,” the man reached out to caress my cheek but I snapped my teeth at his fingers. He yanked away with an alarmed expression before covering it up with a smirk.

 

“As you see, Hoyt, this little snake has a rather annoying temper,” Vaas said, glaring at me and I returned the expression. “So, I figured I’d have some fun with her.” Vaas smirked and I grit my teeth at the “fun” he mentioned. The man, Hoyt, laughed and slapped Vaas on the back as if what he said was a joke.

 

“That’s why I like you Vaas, always having fun. Business is so serious these days,” he laughed but Vaas seemed unamused. “But if she heals up nicely, I might just snatch her away from you. Keep up the good work, Vaas,” Hoyt called as he began to walk away and Vaas didn’t answer. I did my best to ignore what Hoyt had said and paid attention to Eden.

She was currently getting shoved towards a truck with all the other chosen hostages, tears streaming down her face while she hung her head low in a defeated way. I shook my head, this couldn’t be happening. I can’t let her be sold.

 

I once heard someone say, fear overrides good judgment. I’m guessing that’s what happened to me because before I knew it, I threw my head back, hitting Vaas in the chin. He growled in pain, releasing me to clutch his chin. I ran towards Eden and she looked up at me in surprise. My hands were out of their bonds and they were bleeding terribly from my yanking them out so quickly. Thankfully they were on the looser side so my burn wasn’t too damaged.

 

“Ronnie?” Eden said quietly in a confused tone. The man who was holding her looked at me with wide eyes and I punched him square in the face. He let go of Eden and I ran over to her, pulling her hands out of her loose bonds with one hand, the other clutched to my chest. I opened my mouth to tell her to run but the click of a gun and Eden’s horror filled expression stopped me. My eyes widened in fear and I whipped around to see a pirate pointing a gun at me. A soft breath slipped through my open lips as I prepared for the bullet.

 

The gun was fired but I felt nothing. Instead, I watched as my sister crumpled to the ground in front of me.

 

My knees went weak and my jaw dropped as I took in Eden lying at my feet, a bloody hole in her chest. She looked up at me with pained and saddened eyes. A puddle of blood spread out around her and time seemed to stop. Her whimpers and squeaks of pain were the only things that reached my ears as she gazed up at me. Chaos was erupting around me as everyone was rushing to figure out what happened. Who was shooting? Who was hit? But nothing could distract me as I watched the light slowly drain from her eyes.

 

I could barely hear the sounds of Eden’s name being screamed from my mouth.

 

I was abruptly tackled to the ground by two pirates. I lay on my stomach perpendicular to Eden while they tried to hold my squirming body down and tie my hands together. I couldn’t speak; the words wouldn’t leave my mouth. My chest was tight and I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks, blurring my vision. Not even the pressure being put on my arm distracted me. Eden looked like she was trying to say something but blood was dripping out of her mouth, it must have been preventing her from speaking.

 

“Eden, no! No, please!” I screamed, my voice one of pure agony. But my words couldn’t save her. Her eyes were suddenly looking into a world I couldn’t see and she was lost in an abyss I couldn’t know about. Her pained cries were silenced with one last sob.

 

She must have jumped in front of me just before the man shot, he wasn’t aiming at her. I watched helplessly as blood continued to gush from her stomach and lung area, some dripped from her mouth even though she was dead.

 

I couldn’t hear anything that anyone was saying around me. Anyone touching me was numb to my skin. I could vaguely feel my hands being tied behind my back but everything was deadened. Without permission, my eyes quickly found the man who fired the gun. My tear filled eyes narrowed into the most malicious glare I could muster and a nervous expression broke out across his face.

 

An uncontrollable anger consumed me and I found that I had the strength to shove the men off of me before they could tie my hands. I kicked one in the shin and punched the other in the face with all the strength I had using one hand, making them unable to chase after me. Even though pirates were standing all around us, no one was trying to stop me. I didn’t care why or how, I just slowly walked towards the man who had killed my sister.

 

“I didn’t mean to kill her. Really, it was an accident. Please, don’t hurt me,” the man pleaded, dropping the gun and holding his hands up in surrender but I had neither pity nor mercy.

 

Somehow, I realized that I had a machete in my left hand. How I had picked it up was unknown to me but everything I could remember seemed to blur together until it was all a big puddle of memories. I couldn’t bring myself to look down at Eden’s lifeless form as I stepped over her. Her head was turned, still looking at where I had been laying.

 

“Please, I didn’t mean to…” the pirate said, still hoping to get out of his sealed fate.

He began to look for an escape route when I neared him but we were trapped in a circle of pirates with no way out. I knew that Vaas was probably watching, I didn’t know if that Hoyt man was watching, but I honestly didn’t give a fuck. This monster deserved to burn in the depths of hell and that’s where I would send him.

 

X

 

_Eden’s loud scream jerked me from my sleep and without a second thought I was up out of my bed and shaking Eden. She was having another nightmare but this one must have been bad, she had never screamed so loud before._

 

_“Eden! Eden, wake up!” I tried to be quiet for the sake of our sleeping father but my voice was rising. “Eden! It’s just a dream, wake up!” Her eyes flew open and her hands clenched around my arms like I was the enemy. But when she saw who I was, those warm, blue eyes softened and tears began to flow from them. She threw her arms around me and I sat on the edge of her bed, pulling her onto my lap and closer against my body._

 

_“Shh, Eden. It’s alright, it’s okay, it was just a dream,” I shushed her but she continued to sob into my chest. I could feel her starting to hyperventilate so I started to rub soothing circles on her back which seemed to calm her down a little bit._

 

 _“Ronnie, it was him. It was Daddy, he…he was gonna hurt me. He…was gonna…he_ ― _” she stuttered, trying to get the words out through her sobs. I felt my heart clench in my chest, just the fact that Eden had to live in fear of her father hurting her hurt me. Even though I was only fifteen, I thought of Eden as my responsibility and if she was hurt, it was my fault._

_“Oh, Eden,” I silenced her, my arms tightened around her fragile frame. “Shh, it’s ok. You’re safe, Daddy won’t hurt you. It’s alright. I won’t let him, I won’t let anything hurt you,” I reassured her, stroking her hair instead of rubbing circles. Still, she continued to cry into my chest._

 

_“Ronnie,” her soft voice whimpered and I could hear the terror and the pain in her tone. Her hands were gripping my shirt as if she would die if she let go._

 

_“Shh, I’m here. I’ll always be right here,” I whispered quietly to her. Out of all of the things I have ever said, those were the ones I truly meant._

 

X

 

Red.

 

That color. That goddamn color.

 

It was everywhere. It was all over the dirt. It was all over what was left of that pirate’s body. It was splattered all over my clothing. A smudge even decorated my cheek. It coated my hands. Red was also all over the savages around me. But I knew it wasn’t blood that they wore, but it sure did symbolize it.

 

Red wasn’t just a simple color now. Red meant blood, it meant death and rage and hatred. Red meant pirates. That’s all it was now. Any other color seemed heavenly compared to red.

 

I had been put in what Vaas called “timeout” after I threw my “tantrum”. Sometimes I wondered if that man ever took anything seriously. But what I found rather strange after a few pirates managed to pull me off that wrangled body is that Vaas looked almost impressed. Maybe even amused. He showed absolutely no sympathy for my dead sister that still had been lying in the dirt at the time.

 

After Vaas had told his pirates to put me back on my post, I nearly begged him to let me have a few moments with Eden’s body, my tears still falling heavily from my eyes. If I hadn’t taken my anger out on that pirate, I probably wouldn’t have hesitated to kill Vaas too when I saw the hint of satisfaction in his eyes at my pleading. He thought he had broken me. That the death of my sister was all that I needed to take me down. And that’s how it must have looked.

 

Vaas told his pirates to just toss Eden’s body in “the pit” with the others. By then, I was a hysteric mess. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Eden was supposed to at least get a proper burial. Not be tossed into a pit with a bunch of other unfortunate people. She shouldn’t even be dead.

 

I fought so hard to try and get to Eden’s lifeless body one last time but the pirates kept a good hold on me. Some pirates were a bit surprised to see me a sniveling and sobbing mess. It was the opposite of how I had been when I came into this place. But I didn’t care the slightest to what they thought of me. My sister was dead and that was all that mattered.

 

I was making such a racket as the pirates tried to drag me back to my post that I had caught the attention of nearly all the other prisoners. I screamed, I kicked, I hit, I bit, I scratched, I cursed, I did everything I possibly could but as always, the pirates won out in the end. They clearly wanted to stop me from making so much noise and uncooperative and I wasn’t sure why they didn’t just knock me out. I sort of wished that they did. Anything to take me away from here.

 

Here was where Eden died. I wished that they would just kill me too. Eden was all that I had ever lived for after the rest of my family left me. She was all I had left and now she was dead. I had no one.

 

Almost stereotypically, it began to rain just like I had predicted. Black clouds rolled in and covered the once blue skies. They rumbled and lightning flashed every once in awhile. The pouring rain felt good on my burn and I was thankful for the small relief though it didn’t help the rest of my pain.

 

The wet drops washed away the blood and dirt coating me, leaving my skin cleaner than it was. The blood that was left on the ground from my sister and the mutilated pirate remained, almost refusing to leave and I wondered if it would be stained there forever.

 

X

 

_“It’s okay, Ronnie,” Eden’s soft voice reassured me; her hands softly wrapped around my head and rubbed a circle on my upper back. My head rested in the crook of her neck, tears forming in my eyes. It was the nightmares again and this time, they had woken Eden._

 

_“You’ll be alright, things will get better,” she said and I pulled away from her, looking up at her from my crouched spot on the ground. She was sitting on my bed, leaning down to hug me. She saw the tears in my eyes and let out a breathy laugh that was cut short by her own tears while smiling. “What are we going to do with you? Big, tough Veronica…crying in front of her little sister,” she scoffed but her voice was strained as she tried to joke._

 

_I couldn’t bring myself to smile back at her because for a moment, she looked exactly like my mother. Blue eyes and light brown hair, the same worn out smile, the same look in her eyes. She was even hugging me instead of me hugging her. I didn’t speak, I just rested my head back on her shoulder and she welcomed me, pulling me tight against her like I needed her to while humming a familiar tune. And things were almost normal for a few minutes._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Hermana: Spanish for “sister”  
> Inteligente: Spanish for “intelligent”  
> Flor: Spanish for “flower”  
> Hermanita: Spanish for “little sister”  
> Lo siento, serpiente: Spanish for “I’m sorry, snake”  
> Pero: Spanish for “but”  
> Serpiente pequeña: Spanish for “little snake”
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own the “sacredness in tears” quote or the “fear overrides good judgement” quote. All credit of all quotes used in this story can be found on my profile.


	7. Drowning in the Abyss

Chapter 6 – Drowning in the Abyss

_Oneirodynia: intense mental disturbance or distress associated with dreaming; a nightmare._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

_“Veronica! Eden!” I heard my brother’s yell come from the front door. Both of us jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut and Eden’s eyes widened as Mason’s footsteps pounded towards us._

 

_We were sitting at the kitchen table, rationing a can of soup and slices of an apple. It had been a quiet evening, that is until Mason showed up._

 

_I stood, moving in front of Eden, ready to protect her if Mason had any intention of harming her._

 

_Mason stormed into the kitchen, his usually brown eyes were black with rage. But there was an empty desperateness in them as well that made him look drained and tired, maybe a little scared. I had seen this look in his eyes before, he was going through withdrawal._

 

_Maybe his supplier was out._

 

_The look in Mason’s eyes was much more intense than usual so I made sure to be extra cautious when talking to him. He stepped forward, closing the distance between me and him quickly._

 

_My fists clenched in an attempt to steel myself for whatever he was going to say or do to me but he didn’t touch me. Instead, he walked past me to Eden. I watched with a confused expression and then an angry one as Mason grabbed Eden and began to tie her hands together._

 

_“What the hell, Mason? What are you doing?” I exclaimed, shoving him away from Eden’s whimpering form._

 

_It was clear that I had crossed the very fine line between us when Mason’s eyes filled with rage. I knew that withdrawal from dangerous drugs that you are addicted to physically and mentally can cause you to do crazy things, but when I saw the glint of light from the knife Mason pulled out of his pocket, I couldn’t believe it. My eyes widened and I stepped back._

 

_“I’ve had it with you getting in the fucking way of everything!” he yelled and Eden flinched, pressing herself against the wall to avoid Mason even though he was focused on me. “You two are coming with me and that’s final. Young girls like you two sell for a high price these days. That money’s gonna buy me a couple weeks worth of coke.”_

 

_I gaped at him as Mason smiled evilly at me. My brother had turned into a monster right before my eyes. Seventeen years of trust vanished with a simple sentence. I would never get that feeling of security I felt when he was around again. I would never have anyone to look up to again._

 

_Mason stalked towards me slowly, his knife pointed at me and my breathing accelerated. My eyes darted around to search for something to protect myself with but Mason was on me before I could move._

 

_“Mason, please!” I yelled, pure terror in my eyes and voice as he swung his knife at me. Tears were beginning to drip from my eyes as I narrowly dodged Mason’s attacks. He refused to stop and I did the only thing that I could think of._

 

_I ran for the knife drawer and yanked it open; grabbing the first one I could get my hands on. When I turned, Mason was right in front of me. I let out a scream of pain and horror as his knife sliced the right side of my neck._

 

_It was a shallow and clean cut, nothing too serious. But it still hurt like hell and blood began to slide down my skin. There was a moment of realization and panic in Mason’s eyes as he took in what he had done. I now know that he was regretful. But my reaction happened too quickly._

 

_My instincts for survival took over and I drove the knife right into Mason’s chest._

 

X

 

Time was a strange thing that I had never really thought about. I suppose it was just there, nothing I never really needed to evaluate. But these past seven days have given me lots of time to think about time.

 

This week, time was a very subjective object. Sometimes, it moved very quickly, so quickly that I wished that it would stop completely. But other times, it moved so slowly that I dreaded every moment I breathed.

 

But before I get any further into my evaluation of time, I should discuss what happened this past week. With all my ties with other people gone (excluding Drake, but I didn’t care much for him), Vaas thought he had broken me and made me his new plaything. I was subjected to many different types of tortures. But Vaas never inflicted any of them himself which I found strange. He usually just stood by and watched or sometimes, he didn’t even watch at all.

 

I thought that sort of defeated the purpose of me being tortured. Wasn’t it all for his entertainment? I guess not. But the pirates were entertained, they enjoyed my torture.

 

Time would drag on through the day, leaving me to suffer through the harsh sunlight and the heat as well as my time of being tortured. Those were the times I wished time would speed up, I felt like the clock was dragging its feet just to mess with me. But at night, time moved much too fast.

 

Every night, the pirates would finish their torturing and tie me up back at my post. I was never returned to my cage, I guess that was another punishment. I had to stand most of the time but I sat down whenever I could since I was always exhausted. I would sleep for a few hours before I was kicked or shaken awake. I always wanted just a few more hours of night, just to sleep but time was cruel.

 

Thoughts of Eden continuously crept into my head but I pushed them out. I didn’t want to think about her so I focused on pain. Pain was my friend in a strange way. It kept my mind occupied when Eden started to invade my thoughts.

 

But pain was also an enemy.

 

My burnt arm was not healing well since my wrists had to be tied almost all day and the raw skin was being put through all kinds of dirt and infectious things. I knew it was getting infected but there was nothing I could do.

 

I was constantly in pain, aching everywhere and covered in blood from previous events or the tortures. The lack of food, water, and sleep was not helping either. Special orders from Vaas, I guess. I hoped he was getting a rise out of this because he sure was putting a lot of energy into torturing me if he was just going to watch every once in awhile.

 

But I guess that isn’t really something I had control over. Like time. And nightmares. Those kept haunting me but it was worse now. It was always leading back to the same thing. Blood, Eden or Mason. Something of those three. The nightmares kept me from sleep as well.

 

It was hell overall. And I wanted it to end. But it never did. It was a continuous cycle that I despised. I was rudely awakened at dawn, given a few sips of water and a dry bit of meat or a piece of fruit before I was taken away. Tortures ensued and it was always something different, I wondered if they would ever run out of ideas. There would be breaks in between of course and sometimes I was returned to my post earlier than others. But I always ended up at my post with my hands tied, a few sips of water, and some food before I fell into a restless sleep.

 

Then it happened all over again. Some days were worse than others but still, at the end of every day, I was alive with new wounds and scars. And I guess that counted for something.

X

 

My feet barely held my weight as I drifted in and out of consciousness. My wrists had gotten worse as the days passed by. My burn was a furious red and it felt like it was still on fire. I was beyond exhausted; there wasn’t a word for how tired I was. There was no way to stand and sleep in my position. I was still sore from my previous tortures and I wasn’t sure how many more I could take.

 

I heard the sound of pirates nearing me and I flinched, my body remained limp, unable to gather the strength to prepare myself. I didn’t look up when I saw two pairs of boots stop next to me so one of them pulled my hair back, forcing me to look up. I spotted the cup of water in the other’s hand and I immediately leaned forward to take a drink. The man holding my hair kept me back while the man holding the water kept the cup out of my reach.

 

It was a terrible torture, one of the most painful, to dangle heaven in front of a damned man. It went on like this for an eternity; they continued to tease me with the hopes of water only to take it away. I would have kicked them but I couldn’t gather the energy. The men finally decided to give me the water and I drank in a rush, the feeling of the cool water flowing down my throat was wonderful. But it was gone all too soon and the men left me with twisted smirks, making jokes about my disgusting animal-like need for water.

 

I ignored them and tried to gather any water droplets that had fallen onto my chin or lips. When I was sure there was none, I let myself rest against the pole again. I felt slightly better, my body glad for the sudden hydration. Strength, a small amount, was returning to my muscles but I felt better than I had before.

 

It only seemed like a few minutes but it was probably an hour or so when the pirates returned. I continued to wonder why the time between tortures passed so fast but the time during them was so slow. I didn’t bother trying anything as they untied my hands. I fell to the ground, unable to catch myself fast enough and my legs were weak. The men snickered as I propped myself up on my elbows, trying to stand.

 

But the pirates didn’t let me stand. One of them kicked my stomach from the side and I groaned, struggling to keep the water in my stomach instead of out. I let myself relax on my stomach again while grimacing, focusing on making the pain fade away. When I tried to rise to my feet, I was kicked again. This time, the pain was worse and I had to press my forehead into the dirt while biting my tongue. Instead of having this repeat again, I stayed down.

 

My head was suddenly pulled back by someone gripping my hair and I met the face of Vaas. I grit my teeth as the person kept a tight grip on my hair and I also glared up at Vaas. He gave me a smirk and my eyes darted down to look at a long, worn chain in his hands. There was blood spotting it and it looked like a chain that was used for dogs.

 

“Is our Little Snake still up for a fight? Huh? Is she still baring her fangs?” Vaas asked tauntingly, sticking out his pointer finger near my mouth and I did as he expected. I attempted to bite him but the man holding my hair kept me back. Vaas chuckled and fidgeted with the chain. “Looks like we need to tame our Little Snake. We can’t have a Black Mamba slithering around in here causing problems. So we’ll tame her like a _tigre_ ,” Vaas smiled and my eyebrows drew together.

 

He suddenly wrapped the chain around my neck and I panicked, struggling to get it off but it was already on. Vaas stepped back, holding the other end of the chain. He had put the chain on me like a collar and he was holding the leash. The man had released my hair and moved out of the way so I thought I would have more freedom to move but it was the opposite. Vaas pulled the chain and it tightened around my neck, causing me to have trouble breathing.

 

When I tried to pull the chain off, Vaas yanked it, causing the chain to tighten and me to stop pulling at it. It was like teaching something to an incompetent child. They would try to do something and you would scold them until they got the picture. When I finally stopped trying to get the chain off, Vaas smiled gleefully and handed the chain to one of the pirates before kneeling down next to me. I was still on the ground but I was on my hands and knees now, panting to catch my breath from nearly being choked.

 

“Maybe this will teach you to keep your fangs in your mouth,” Vaas said lowly, running his finger over my dry lips before standing and beginning to walk away. He must have given orders to the pirates before he put the chain on me because the man holding the chain began to tug it, implying for me to walk.

 

At first I didn’t move, I just sat there on my knees. The pirates gave me annoyed glares, upset that I wasn’t entertaining them. That’s what it was all about, right? Entertainment.

“Here, give me that, dumbass,” another pirate said and snatched the chain from the man’s hand. I tiredly looked up at the new holder of my leash only to find the expression of evil and malice. He gave me a twisted smile, yanking the chain so hard that it constricted around my throat so much that I feared I wouldn’t be able to breathe at all.

 

I immediately got to my feet, trying to loosen the chain so I could breathe properly. And as soon as it was loosened, the man yanked it again, causing me to fall forward and stumble to keep my balance while my hands tried to make sure I could breathe. This continued as we slowly made our way across the camp and the pirates decided that this was far too boring. They began to harass me, calling out insults and threats so that I would lose my temper and attack them only to have my chain pull taut, choking me.

 

I felt like a dog. Leashed with a collar. Being yelled at and taunted. Surrounded by vindictive men. A chain taking its hold on my neck.

 

It didn’t take long for the pirates to start poking at me or throwing things in my direction. It only entertained them more when my temper started to rise. Their insults got nastier and more vulgar, only angering me further.

 

This game of cat and mouse continued for hours but this time I was sure that it was hours. The sun made its way through the sky and I was exhausted again by the time the pirates began to lose interest. But there was someone to always take the place of the ones who had gotten bored. There was always a new voice to spit the words “slut” and “whore” or suggest something about my breasts.

 

It was a constant cycle and there was always a person who wanted a turn to yank me along and try to choke me almost to the point of death.

 

As the sun began to sink, I was sure my throat had bruises on it and my voice was scratchy and nearly gone from me yelling back at the pirates. I had mostly given up on fighting back and just lay on the ground. The pirates gave up soon as well, not liking that I wasn’t responding to their torment.

 

I didn’t feel relief until the collar had been removed and my bonds went back in their rightful places; around my wrists.

 

X

 

The pirates were dragging me towards my post by my arms. My feet dragged in the dirt and I didn’t support my own weight. When we reached the post, they dropped me to the ground without care. I was silent as I hit the ground, the pain didn’t hurt me. I had felt worse and I had learned to keep my mouth shut.

 

“You got a rope?” one asked the other. I didn’t bother moving. I was exhausted and my muscles ached. They had made me run across the beach with dogs chasing after me to make sure I ran. I had run as fast as I could across the soft sand but the dogs still caught up to me. One bit my leg and the other bit my bicep but I was fine, they called the dogs off of me after awhile.

 

“Nah, do you?” the other asked. The first man responded with a shake of his head and the second sighed. “Let’s just put her in the cages for tonight, we’ll tie her up in the morning,” he said and the first agreed. They must have been tired too. I wanted to laugh at the thought, how could they be tired? Did they even know what it meant to be tired?

 

They picked me up again by my arms again and dragged me towards the cages. Everyone was asleep as usual except a few new prisoners that had been brought in during the day. They watched me with fearful eyes and I didn’t even glance at them. They had heard my screams and seen my wounds, they were scared shitless. And they should’ve been.

 

The pirates opened up an empty cage and tossed me in. I hit the ground with a thud and I winced as I landed on a few bruises, clutching my burned arm close to me. I just lay on the ground as they locked the cage before walking away, discussing something that had to do with drugs. After a moment of silence, I could hear the guard gently snoring and there wasn’t much noise. It was a quiet night. It was a bit strange to have my view of the camp taken away but at least I could lie down.

 

It was a luxury I hadn’t had in a long time.

 

I was about to fall asleep but as my eyes closed, the darkness brought images of Eden. My eyes flew open and I jumped, gripping the dirt with my fingernails as if it would calm me. A sharp pain flashed through my arm and I looked down to see my burned arm seeping blood.

 

The charred, crisp, over-layer of skin was still peeling and underneath lay infected, angry red skin. That skin was bleeding now, but slowly. I watched blankly as the red blood slid down my dirty skin.

 

It was entrancing and I zoned out watching it. It was almost a cleanser, flushing the dirt out of my burn and though it disgusted me, I kept watching. My other filthy hand reached for my forearm, lightly poking at the deadened, black skin and I hissed as it hurt.

 

A hand that didn’t belong to me suddenly snapped out and grabbed my uninjured hand. I looked at the hand in surprise, concluding that it was trying to keep me from hurting myself any further. The hand’s skin was a large contrast to mine, the hand was clean and glowing, like some sort of strange, angelic fluorescence. I was immediately reminded of Eden.

 

“Ronnie…” a voice spoke and my head whipped up at the sound of my sister’s voice. My dark eyes met light ones and my gaze softened. Tears pricked at my eyes as the misty yet clear image of my sister’s face became apparent to me.

 

Her hand was strong on mine and I was glad she didn’t let go. Eden didn’t smile at me as I thought she might, she just stared, looking concerned. And for a few moments, I stared back, not able to believe my sister was there before me.

 

Finally, my mouth opened to speak but Eden’s sweet, blue eyes became animated, brown ones. I could see the green standing out in the moonlight and I knew who it was. The beautiful dream was over and the calm, cool existence of my sister was still absent. The light-skinned, clean and gentle hands of my sister were replaced by rough, tanned ones that were wrapped in pieces of cloth and tape.

 

Tears began to spill out of my eyes in large drops and I couldn’t control it. Vaas let go of my hand and both of my hands fell into my lap in a stance of defeat. I began to sob, overwhelmed by the pain and the grief.

 

I was done with it all. I didn’t want to endure the torture any longer and I didn’t want to worry about facing my wrongful past anymore. I was done.

 

I could vaguely hear Vaas opening the cage door and feeling his arms wrapping around me, carrying me bridal style. It felt like a lucid dream. Of course Vaas wouldn’t carry me or even show gentleness. Why would he care if I was hurt? If Eden was a hallucination then so was he. I must be dreaming.

 

I didn’t remember falling asleep but I was tired so I decided to go with it. I let Vaas hold me close and I pressed my tear-streaked face against his shoulder. My arms wrapped around his neck as well and I had no care for where we were going.

 

My burned arm rested in my lap and the ever-present pain continued to simmer. I wished it would stop.

 

Vaas walked for quite awhile, I could sense we were leaving the center of the compound and entering a more isolated area. No panic or fear filled me since I knew this was only a dream. Vaas continued walking until he walked up a few steps onto a porch, he paused to open a door and we entered what seemed to be another hut.

 

This hut was different though, I could tell without having a look around. It was roomier and nicer than the hut where ransoms were held. I didn’t pay attention to much detail and continued to cry without stopping. Vaas was silent as he attempted to put me down on a couch but I refused to let go of him.

 

Even after all Vaas had put me through, he was something that remained constant and I didn’t want to let that go. This was a dream after all, who knew what would happen if I let go. I kept a tight grip on him and he just met my stricken eyes with amused ones. He chuckled softly and pried my arms off of him before standing back.

 

I leaned forward to reach for him again but he held a hand out as a sign for me to stop moving.

 

“Stay,” he said and I listened, not quite knowing what else to do. He stared at me for a moment, making sure I listened before turning and disappearing behind a tattered cloth behind used for a curtain. Was it a door?

 

I didn’t dwell on it and focused on calming myself down which wasn’t working too well. Vaas was back in what seemed inhuman time but I didn’t mind. At least there was something familiar in this strange place.

 

He brought a small plastic box and I recognized the red cross on it. Vaas sat next to me on the couch, close enough so that he could reach my injured arm without moving. I watched him in interest, sniffling and letting out shuddered breaths while he unpacked the first-aid kit with ease. It was like he had done it a million times before.

 

Vaas put some sort of liquid on a cotton swab and reached for my hand. I pulled away at first; not knowing what he was going to do but he grabbed my hand anyway.

 

“Stay still, Cosima,” Vaas muttered in annoyance. My eyes widened in pain as he dabbed the cotton onto my wound but then I relaxed as the disinfectant cleaned my arm. Instead of using the cotton swab again, he poured the disinfectant on my burn which stung but felt better afterwards.

 

Another round of tears came on unexpectedly as Vaas continued to tend to my burn but he only ignored me, sometimes looking up at me with an unidentifiable expression but he never spoke. All was silent except for my cries as Vaas removed some of the charred skin before putting some sort of medicine on it and then a bandage.

 

My arm felt a lot better but my tears never ceased. Without another word, Vaas picked me up again and we were back in the more populated areas of the compound before I knew it. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier as we went on and I barely remembered Vaas tying me back to my post. What I did strongly remember was the look in his eyes before he left me; it was almost sympathetic or possibly concerned. I thought he would say something comforting (anything was possible, it was a dream) but he left without speaking.

 

I assumed I fell asleep after that or my dream ended because when I woke up, it was morning and I felt slightly healthier than I did the night before. I slept soundly, no nightmares and strangely, no disturbances in the morning. Perhaps I was up before the pirates were scheduled to wake me.

 

I spent a while thinking about my very unrealistic dream, feeling as if it had happened but all facts pointed to the latter. But one look at my bandaged forearm said different.

 

X

 

Water has become my enemy.

 

Water used to be a safe haven, something to look forward to, a delicacy. But now, there was too much of it. It filled my lungs and throat, cutting off any way for me to breathe. It filled my nose and every part of my chest until I felt heavy and weighed down.

 

You would think it would be a good thing to have so much water but drowning in it is absolutely horrible.

 

Water boarding is what they’ve chosen to torture me with. The truth is, is that it isn’t even a lot of water. It just felt like it. It felt like it was filling my every nerve and my every vein until I would explode from not breathing. And afterwards, I would cough up barely a mouthful of water.

 

Suffocation is what they aimed for and right before I was about to pass out, they would pull that hellish, water-soaked rag away so I could breathe. Then they would put me through it again and again and again.

 

I knew they enjoyed watching me struggle, it was just another form of entertainment. A horrid one at that.

 

They used electricity too, a car battery was hooked up to me and the pirates thought it was quite funny to watch my body be rocked by spasms. I was only electrocuted once though and it wasn’t for a long amount of time.

 

They had tied me down before hooking me up to the car battery and when they had actually electrocuted me, I screamed as I was wracked with spasms and pain. Afterwards, I felt strange and tingly but my muscles ached as if they had been stretched or overworked.

The pirates did it again and I screamed some more but the torture ended there. Vaas had shown up and ordered for it to stop. He didn’t say anything else and I felt too hazy to speak or move as I was untied.

 

He surprised me by helping me up off the table I had been tied to with care before roughly grabbing my bicep and pulling me towards my post. I was confused with his actions but just brushed it off with the excuse that he was bipolar. My eyes would barely stay open so I decided to leave my thoughts and questions alone.

 

Vaas didn’t say anything to me, as usual, when he tied me up. He made the bonds looser like he had done before and I slid into a sitting position, ready for sleep. I knew all the pirates were watching us with criticizing eyes but both Vaas and I ignored them.

 

It took seconds for me to slip into unconsciousness.

 

X

 

With the pleasant rise of the sun came an unpleasant bucket of water. A bucket of freezing cold water. It was dumped right over my head and the ice water threw chills down my body. It would have felt nice if it hadn’t come out of nowhere.

 

This had been a common way to wake me up and I still hadn’t grown used to the surprising brisk water. I honestly didn’t know where they had gotten such cold water in the tropics.

The pirates also still found it amusing how I jumped and shivered when they woke me up so rudely. Usually, I was left alone after being woken up but not today. Today, one of the nastier pirates had chosen to wake me up.

 

He squatted down next to me and pressed his face close to mine, looking to intimidate. I coughed and sputtered, spitting out the excess water that had dripped into my nose and mouth.

 

“You know what, Little Snake? I think you think you’re special or somethin’,” he said, his drug-driven eyes glaring at mine. “Well I wanna let you know, Little Snake, that you’re no better than them sluts workin’ the poles.”

 

His breath reeked of dead things mixed with alcohol. I leaned away from his face with a disgusted expression but he only got closer. His hand on my cheek kept my head from turning away.

 

“You know, Little Snake, I’m gonna break you. I’m gonna break you until you beg.” He whispered the last sentence and moved so close to me I could feel the tip of his nose on my cheek. “I’ll have you on your knees just fucking choking on my―”

 

“Manolo!” an assertive voice shouted. I looked up to see a large, muscular man walking towards us. The pirate, Manolo, just looked up at him with an amused smirk. “You heard Vaas, no touching the prisoner!” he yelled even though he didn’t need to. A few pirates sitting around had turned to watch the scene.

 

Manolo clearly wasn’t someone to be messed with and he didn’t look afraid of the tall man who had yelled at him. Manolo roughly let go of my face and stood, his height matching with the stranger’s.

 

“He never said that, Carlos. Take your bullshit and go fuck yourself,” Manolo responded, his arms crossing over his broad chest. The stranger, Carlos, glared at Manolo.

 

“Want me to go ask him? I don’t think he would be too happy to hear what you’ve been saying to his favorite toy,” Carlos said and the two men glared at each other.

 

The stand-off was over quickly, Manolo scoffing and walking off, not wanting to risk anything with Vaas. Carlos watched him go until he was a good distance away before turning to me. I just stared up at him with wide eyes, surprised by his tall stature yet muscular frame. Carlos didn’t speak to me; he only stared with a calculating look before turning and leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Tigre: Spanish for “tiger”


	8. Wandering in the Darkness

Chapter 7 - Wandering in the Darkness

_The phoenix must burn to emerge._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

I was exhausted; as usual. Even after a full night’s sleep. But that didn’t stop Vaas from waking me.

 

I had been sleeping peacefully, recovering from the torture I had received a day or two ago. Vaas hadn’t bothered me for an entire day which I found very peculiar. But I wasn’t about to complain.

 

My lungs still ached from the water boarding and my throat was still sore from that horrid chain. I was sure that there were bruises on my neck. But my forearm was healing, it needed new bandages and more disinfectant but it was getting better.

 

“Hey, _hermana.”_ I heard his voice and my eyelids fluttered. “Cosima,” he said, shaking me this time but I only groaned and turned my head away from him. “Hey, Veronica. Wake the fuck up,” he said, sounding agitated and I grit my teeth in annoyance.

 

“What the fuck do you want?” I growled angrily, not caring if my tone made him angry. What was he going to do anyway? He had already tortured me, beat me, starved me, everything.

 

“Come on, get up,” he said, cutting the ropes around my wrists with a small knife. My filthy hands fell limply into my lap and Vaas didn’t make a move to tie them again. My eyebrows drew together in confusion; he always tied them back up. “I have something special for you today,” he said as I rose to my feet, using the wooden post for help. My eyes flickered past him, scanning the tree line that seemed so close. Vaas caught my eyes and turned to see what I was looking at. He smiled at me while I watched him cautiously. “Oh, no you don’t, Cosima. You see, today is a special day. I’m going to give you something nice. But if you want it, you’ll have to cooperate. Alright? So no running, or you’ll be sorry.” His toned had sobered with seriousness as he motioned a gun with his fingers to the side of his head.

 

I nodded once and this seemed to satisfy him. He turned and began to walk; I had no choice but to follow him. It was strange that he was trusting me with so much freedom but I guess I would be stupid to run. We were surrounded by pirates; there were snipers in the trees and in the watchtowers above. I wouldn’t have been able to make it within a few yards of the tree line.

 

“What is it?” I asked, referring to the “special thing” he had mentioned. I stared at the back of his head, waiting for him to answer or turn around. He didn’t do either and remained silent, which bothered me. You could never predict what Vaas had up his sleeve.

 

Vaas just continued to walk as if I hadn’t said anything so I silently followed. I felt the pirates’ curious eyes on me as I walked. I cast them a glare but it did little to make them stop. I knew they were confused since I was walking around freely without my hands tied but I was just as puzzled as they were.

 

We began to enter a more secluded pathway that was shaded by many trees. There were no pirates in sight here and it would be much easier for me to escape. But still, Vaas didn’t seem concerned. In fact, he didn’t even turn around to see if I was still behind him.

 

As we continued down the path, we rounded a corner and a hut came into sight. It looked nice; it was private and of much better quality than the huts I had seen in the compound. It seemed familiar but before I could place where I had seen it, I realized Vaas had stopped walking. He was leaning on one of the supports for what seemed to be a porch while I remained on the dirt path. He lit a cigar between his teeth and didn’t speak until he blew a puff of smoke out of his mouth.

 

“Go on, Veronica,” he said, nodding to the jungle behind me. My eyebrows crinkled and I gave him a confused look. “You want to leave? Go ahead, _hermana.”_

 

I didn’t move. This had to be a trick. He was going to let me go and then send his dogs after me. Or the pirates would hunt me down. There was no way he would just let me go. But there was no one around, not a single pirate or animal. Just him and me. That meant that he would probably just shoot me the second I made a move to run. But if he was actually letting me go, where would I go and what would I do? Were there even any other people on this island besides the pirates? There were some prisoners who could be natives to the island but for all I knew, they were just from the mainland or another Indonesian island. That woman from so long ago did speak of the Rakyat but I couldn’t know for sure if she was completely in her right mind. And I didn’t even know if the Rakyat were friendly let alone if they even existed.

 

And if I did leave, I didn’t have any sort of way to call for help or to get off the island. I would be stranded. And judging by how well Drake, Eden, and I survived those first two days on this island, it would be hard to gather food or find shelter by myself. At least in the pirate compound I had food and water even if it was little. Was there any other place for me to be other than here?

 

Vaas remained on the makeshift porch, slowly smoking his cigar and watching my face closely for a reaction. He seemed slightly amused by my conflict and waited for my decision patiently. His eyes held a coy expression, reeking of mischief and it made me all the more cautious with my decision.

 

I weighed my options again before making up my mind. I didn’t run. I didn’t move a muscle and I kept a steely expression on my face. I would be safer in the camp as insane as that sounded. There was food, water, and protection as scarce as it was. In the jungle, there could be anything: dangerous animals, dangerous people, or even nothing at all. The risk was too great.

 

Vaas smiled at me when he saw I wasn’t moving, his grin stretching across his cheeks with the last half of his cigar still pinched between his teeth. He seemed gleeful that I had chosen to stay because of reasons unknown to me. I hoped to find out what he was thinking. It was so frustrating to play this game with him; it was nearly impossible to guess his plans and it drove me crazy. It made it so much harder to make my own decisions.

 

Neither of us said anything and Vaas turned, waving for me to follow him as he opened the door to the hut. I followed, stepping into the hut with the feeling that I had been here once before still resting in my gut. The hut was well lit despite the lack of electricity; I only saw one lamp and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling above a table. Melted candles were molded into tables and such but none were lit at the moment.

 

The smell of the place hit me first; it was a mixture of the unrefined scent of the jungle along with the smell of cigars, weed, and man. Fresh and natural with a hint of nicotine and sweat. I wasn’t surprised to see a needle or two and a bag of coke lying around. I spotted a few brightly colored pills sitting on the couch but I couldn’t identify them; I hadn’t seen pills like that before.

 

All the windows were open but mosquito netting served as screens so no bugs were able to get in. There wasn’t much furniture; just a simple, worn couch, a TV with a crack in it, a table, two chairs, and a dusty bookshelf. There was also what seemed to be a small kitchen in the corner. It was just a counter with a few cabinets and a bowl of fruit. I noticed two doorways with tattered clothes replacing the doors and I realized that they must lead to a bathroom and bedroom. Then it hit me, this was where Vaas had taken me in my dream. Or rather, in real life.

 

But I didn’t dwell on the thought as a plate of food sitting on the table caught my eye. There was fresh fruit, some meat, and a glass of water all placed so neatly and nicely. My mouth watered at the sight of so much food since I had had little to nothing to eat for a week. Vaas was watching me take in the room and when he saw I spotted the plate of food, he smirked.

 

I watched as Vaas strolled towards the table with his usual swagger before pulling a chair out and gesturing for me to have a seat. I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion, scanning his expression for any signs of deceit. But I found no signs of danger in his enticing, brown eyes.

 

“You gonna eat or what, _hermana?”_ he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. He found my hesitation funny.

 

“It’s poisoned, isn’t it?” I asked, slowly making my way over to him. He chuckled and I took the seat he offered, allowing him to push my chair in. This surprised me. Vaas was peculiar in the strangest of ways, he could be courteous if it came down to it but he would never hesitate to gut you where you stood.

 

“Of course not, Veronica. Why would I ever poison you?” he asked with a grin, putting a hand to his chest as if I had offended him. I just shook my head at him with a ghost of a smile on my lips.

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” I replied as he sat down next to me.

 

Something was different. Way different. Vaas was acting like a human being but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t blow up at any second. I didn’t know how thin a line I was walking here. And I still didn’t know what was going on in general. Why was Vaas treating me this way? What was with the food and the sudden freedom? He even offered me the chance to leave. Was I going to be killed? Sent away to slavery after a goodbye meal? I had no idea; anything was possible with Vaas.

 

Vaas scooted his chair closer to me but still remained diagonal from me. He then picked up the fork placed on the table and impaled a piece of fruit with it. I thought he was going to feed himself, taunt me with delicious food as it would make more sense than me eating it, but instead he held the food out for me to bite. I waited to see if he would do anything that involved pain or anything that was similar to the last week, but he still hadn’t made a move to tie me up or harm me. But I was still cautious.

 

Vaas waited patiently; his eyes probing my expression carefully, like he was trying to find out what I was thinking. My face must have been a sight to see because I couldn’t tell exactly what I was feeling at the moment. After a minute, I realized that the food really was for me and I wasn’t going to waste another moment.

 

“I can feed myself,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone before snatching the fork out of his hand and shoving the fruit into my mouth.

 

The taste of fruit shouldn’t have been so foreign to me. I had eaten nothing but fruit ever since I had gotten here. But there was something exquisite about this meal. It must’ve been the fact that it wasn’t being shoved down my throat or the fact that I was able to savor it. Hell, it could’ve been just because I was able to eat it with my own hands. Nonetheless, it tasted heavenly.

 

My eyes slid closed as the juice ran down my parched throat and I licked my cracked lips in delight. I reached for another piece and then another until all the fruit was gone. I then moved on to the meat while taking sips of water in between to wash it all down. I ate like an animal, shoveling the food into my mouth like a ravenous dog. It wasn’t until I was done did I notice that Vaas had been watching me silently the whole time. His eyes were gazed at my mouth with a strange interest. I cleared my throat in slight embarrassment and his gaze flickered back up to mine.

 

“Thank you,” I said quietly and a smug grin lit up Vaas’ face at my words. He stood with a slight bounce in his step and I watched him with caution once again, still attentive to any moves he would make that could harm me.

 

He disappeared behind one of the curtains before coming back out a moment later. He was carrying a soft, bath towel and he plopped it down on the table in front of me. My eyebrows crinkled as I looked from the towel to him in confusion.

 

“What’s this for?” I asked and it was Vaas’ turn to crinkle his eyebrows at me.

 

“What? You’ve never seen a fucking towel before?” he asked with slight sass in his tone.

 

_Was this his breaking point?_

 

I shook my head quickly, trying to keep his temper from escalating any further.

 

“No, no, I have. I was just confused as to what I’m supposed to do with it,” I explained and Vaas rolled his eyes at me.

 

“Cosima, you’re gonna take a fucking shower, if you haven’t put two and two together. And this towel,” he picked it up, “is going to keep that _hermosa cuerpo_ of yours covered.” He tossed the towel at me a bit roughly and I caught it. “Now come on, you stink like fucking shit, let’s go,” he ordered and I scowled at him.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the fuck up there, _hermano_ ,” I said, mocking his habit of calling me _hermana._ “Why are you doing this? What the fuck is going on? Food that I’m not being force fed? No rope around my wrists? No torture? And now a fucking shower? What’s happening?”

 

Vaas just stared at me, his expression turning from annoyed to agitated. There was a hint of anger as well but I ignored it, knowing he would take a bit more pushing to reach the actual breaking point.

 

“You will do as I say, alright, _pequeña serpiente?_ You got that? I’m still in charge and I still own you. So get the fuck in that shower before I get in there with you,” he ordered, his tone borderline growling. “I’ve been wondering what other _tatuajes_ you’ve been hiding from me,” he hummed as his fingertips dragged across the fox tattoo I had on my forearm. The tattoo was tribal style; it was just a simple fox lying on the ground.

 

I jerked away from his touch but knew I had pushed my boundaries, so I just nodded, not saying another word. It was clear that we were not equals even though I was being treated like one so far so I knew I still had to watch my mouth so that I wouldn’t get sent back to where I had been. And I did not want that. And I especially did not want Vaas in the shower with me.

 

So, I stood with the towel still clenched in my hands and let Vaas lead me to the bathroom. He pulled open the curtain and gestured for me to go in. I entered the small bathroom and turned to pull the curtain shut. I heard Vaas’ heavy boots walk away and it left me with some relief. I double checked that the curtain wasn’t open far enough for him to see me but didn’t bother with it too much. I didn’t want to keep Vaas waiting for long.

 

I was still wearing the clothes that I had arrived on the island with. My jean shorts and loose tank top were blood and dirt stained. There was multiple rips throughout the shirt and I was surprised that I had even bothered to keep it on. My jeans were still intact but there was no way I could wear them again with all the blood and dirt on them. I shed the top layer of my clothes and took a long look at my battered body.

 

My mouth fell open slightly at the gruesome sight. Bruises, lacerations, burns, dirt, dried blood, and other strange, dried liquids coated my body. The things that stood out the most was the large bruise on my stomach, the deep and bloody indents on my wrists, and the burn on my forearm. I looked into the cracked mirror that hung above the sink and took in the ghastly sight of my face.

 

It had been forever since I had seen my own face. I was barely recognizable. One black eye was yellowing, my lip was deeply cut, dried blood lead a trail to my nose, there was blood that had trickled into my eyebrow from a wound on my forehead, and of course the dark bruises that remained on my neck. There were even a few gashes on my cheeks from things I couldn’t remember. My hair was oily but it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been since the rain helped rinse it out.

 

“Veronica,” Vaas called in a singsong voice, his knuckles rapping against the wall outside. “I don’t hear the water running.”

 

_“Va bene, sto andando,”_ I replied, trying but failing on keeping the snappiness out of my voice.

 

_“Perra Italiana,”_ Vaas hissed from the other side of the curtain and I glared at the mirror. I rolled my eyes and let it go, turning towards the shower.

 

I got the water running and waited until it was warm before taking off my bikini. The swimsuit was also covered in blood and beyond ruined. I felt a little sorrow at losing the thing; it was a very pretty suit. I left it on the wooden floor and stepped into the stream of warm water. I let out a relieved sigh as the clean water ran through my hair and down my back.

 

Nothing could feel better than this.

 

The water at my feet turned an ugly color of rusty red and dark brown and my skin began to show its usual color. I reached for the soap and shampoo and graciously used it until I felt cleaner than I ever had before. I had even begun to hum.

 

Things seemed to go back to normal during my time in the shower. It was almost like Eden was waiting for me in the kitchen, her favorite TV show blaring through the apartment while she ate Chinese food. That was the strange and wonderful thing about showers: you lost track of time, you forgot where you were, what circumstances you were in, everything. It was wonderful but once you got out, it was cold and reality hit you.

 

I didn’t want to keep Vaas waiting too long, knowing he wouldn’t be so patient with me so I turned the water off and reached for the towel. As I dried my body, I realized that I could actually see my tattoos again. The cursive on my ribcage was visible and the tattoo on my lower back was finally revealed. The snake that curled around my calf and ankle was a comfort to see; the bright colors were renewed now that the dirt was washed away. And I knew that my apple of Eden tattoo was also radiant against my skin. It resided on the back of my neck, hidden by my hair. Eden had shared the same tattoo; it was her first and only one. She had gotten it on her ankle.

 

Once again, I stood naked in front of the mirror in the bathroom. I wiped the steam off the glass before glancing over my bruised body again. I felt a surge of pride flow through me when I examined the bruises and scars. It was almost a show of how much I had endured on this island. A sign of strength. My eyes then flickered to the script on my side.

 

_Oppress the Weak and Obey the Strong._

 

My fingers lightly traced the letters and I recognized how true that statement was in this place. You didn’t mess with the people who were stronger than you and you put down the weak so that you could get ahead. It was cruel but a reality.

 

I shook the thoughts from my mind and decided to focus on the task at hand. I didn’t need to reminisce about memories that my tattoos held or the scars on my skin.

 

I finished drying myself off and I scowled at the ruined clothes at my feet. There was no way I was going to put those dirty things back on after I just cleaned myself. I peeked out of the bathroom, holding the curtain open slightly, just enough to gaze around the open room of the hut.

 

There appeared to be no one in the hut and I didn’t hear anything except the soft call of birds from outside. I then spotted a pile of clothes folded neatly and sitting on the table. They looked to be left for me so I scanned the room one more time before creeping out of the bathroom. There were still no sounds of people or signs of Vaas so I just snatched the clothes and hastily retreated back to the bathroom.

 

The clothes appeared to be able to fit me somewhat; there was just a red tank top and some baggy, black cargo pants. No underwear or shoes. I just had to work with what I had. The clothes were loose but they covered me and didn’t fall off. At least the clothes were clean in some way; they smelled slightly but I assumed someone had made an attempt to wash them.

 

_Were they Vaas’ clothes?_

 

I didn’t bother to wonder and let my wet, stringy hair hang down my back while gathering my old clothes in my arms. A voice spoke up when I exited the bathroom again and I jumped.

 

“ _Por fin,_ I thought you’d spend hours in there,” Vaas said. He was standing near the door, another cigar between his fingers. He was annoyed even though I hadn’t been in the shower for that long.

 

I didn’t respond, I only stared at him; waiting to see what he was going to do next. On the outside, I must have looked fearless; and to an extent I was. I had lost care to what was going to happen to me. I was strangely numb to any sort of plans involving myself. But deep inside, I was also fearful of what was going to happen.

 

Vaas stared back and it was silent; he was smiling at me as he took a drag from the cigar. It seemed he was in a good mood again. The smell of tobacco reached my nose and I began to long for just one puff. The secondhand smoke was nice but not as good as the real thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been a big smoker and I’ve always favored weed. Cigarettes were privileges that I bought when I could and cigars were treasures I came across every once in a while. I enjoyed them both though and I wouldn’t mind just a taste of that sweet nicotine.

 

“Why are you doing this?” I finally asked in exasperation.

 

“Well, I have to reward _mi serpiente_ if she is good, don’t I?” he answered and I gave him a confused look.

 

_After eight days of endless torture, he doesn’t bother to give me a real explanation._

 

“Alright, come on, I got shit to do and those clothes look like trash on you,” he said and I scowled at the insult.

 

“Not my fault that they’re too big,” I responded as he blew another cloud of smoke in my direction.

 

_“Vamos,”_ he said, nodding for me to follow him and ignoring my statement. I hesitated for a moment before leaving the hut with him. I was almost regretful to leave the peaceful aura surrounding his home (contrasting with Vaas himself) but I had no choice.

 

We re-entered the inner compound and the familiar sights of red-clothed pirates and weapons filled my vision. Then I realized, I was wearing their colors. My shirt was red. I looked like them. I blended in. The pirates took less note of me when I walked with Vaas to wherever we were going but some did a double take as to make sure they weren’t seeing things.

 

They were confused and gave me dirty looks, clearly not accepting my clothing. They did not me want me in their group and they most certainly didn’t want me around unless I was being tortured. And as far as I knew, there weren’t any females that were not prisoners. Vaas didn’t say anything and neither did I, we just kept walking.

 

Vaas lead me to what seemed to be a warehouse. Inside was a variety of things: weapons, ammo, drugs, boxes, and crates of things I couldn’t see. And clothes. There was an abundance of clothes, large piles of it of all different sizes and types. It was mostly white, black, and red but there were a few exceptions. Shoes were also thrown in the piles as well. All these things must’ve been taken from the prisoners or, judging by the empty suitcases carelessly thrown around, taken from their bags.

 

“Well, Cosima?” Vaas prompted as an invitation for me to find something more my size. “Something _rojo,_ though. Don’t want to be mistaken for a _nativa.”_

 

He didn’t say anything else as he turned and left, leaving me to myself. I wondered if he really trusted me to stay put rather than run. It could all be a test, just to see if I had really learned a lesson and if I could really be trusted. But that wouldn’t make much sense unless I was actually going to be kept alive. But that’s what all the evidence pointed to. I could only wait and see.

 

He had also mentioned natives. So there _were_ natives on the island. The enemies of the pirates judging by the way he had said the word “natives.” But were they friendly? Most likely not since I didn’t want to be mistaken for one.

 

I set to looking for clothes my size, something a bit difficult and time-consuming since things were in such disarray. But after thoroughly searching for possibly thirty to forty-five minutes, I found something that fit, was comfortable, and suited me. It also met the requirement of red.

 

My shirt was a red tank top that had been tied so that my belly ring and tramp stamp tattoo was showing. My pants were black skinny jeans; they were comfy and easy to move in. The shoes were a bit more difficult to find in my size but the black combat boots I found looked good on me. Underwear that was on the cleaner side wasn’t too hard to find but most of it was lacy and skimpy. I wondered why the pirates would keep lingerie before shaking my head at the thought. Before I announced my outfit complete, I felt that I needed more red to blend in with the pirates and I would be damned if I allowed myself to stand out even more. I wrapped a strip of red cloth around my wrist like I had seen others wearing and was satisfied with how I looked. My hair was close to dry now because of the heat of the island and I could feel the soft waves shaping in my hair.

 

It took me a moment to gather a little courage to exit the warehouse and face whatever was to come next that day. When I stepped out into the sun, I looked around for Vaas, hoping to see him nearby so I wouldn’t be wandering around the compound like an idiot. Some of the pirates watched me as I walked by them but I ignored their stares and continued on.

 

“Is that Little Snake?”

 

“I dunno, man. Looks like her, I guess.”

 

“She looks fuckin’ different, man.”

 

“She looks fuckin’ hot.”

 

“Did she always have that tattoo?”

 

It didn’t take long to spot Vaas after I had wandered into the part of the compound where the prisoners were kept. He was yelling, as usual, while a gun remained pointed at the forehead of a sunburnt tourist. I walked over to him, examining the woman who sat on the ground next to the man. She was crying and appeared to be his wife.

 

They were rich. I could tell. It was just the way they acted, the way they held themselves, the aura. The man was also overweight while his wife looked like she had some work done on her face and tits. Maybe hustling and dealing with the Italian Mafia had gotten me used to the attitude of rich people.

 

As soon as I reached Vaas’ side, he pulled the trigger and the man’s brains were blown out of his head. His wife’s sobs stuttered and she was sprayed by her husband’s blood before she let out a scream of horror. Her cries grew louder as I stared blankly down at the dead man with a hole in his head. There was sweat and tear marks down his cheeks and his eyes were still open. Vaas hadn’t noticed me yet so I remained silent.

 

“Put the _señora_ in a cage, she’ll be a good price for the fucks that like older women,” Vaas said and the woman was dragged away. Her white dress was soiled with blood and dirt. I didn’t say anything as she called for help.

 

“Aye! _Serpiente,_ very nice. Sexy…” Vaas said, smiling at me. I didn’t respond as he reached out to twirl a lock of my hair between his fingers. _“Te ves muy bien en rojo,”_ he said quietly as if I were the only one that was supposed to hear it.

 

“Aww, is that what you tell all the _chicas guapas?”_ I taunted, smirking slightly as he snickered.

 

“Come on, we got work to do,” he said, nudging the dead tourist with his foot before turning towards the cages that I had become so familiar with.

 

“We?” I asked in confusion, following him. Seeing the cages from a different angle was so strange, the whole compound looked different now that I wasn’t tied up or in pain.

 

“Yes, we. You are going to be my little shadow today. Come on, it’ll be fun,” he said and I bit the inside of my cheek. I guess it was better than being tortured. And it would shed more light on what he was planning to do with me. Perhaps I wouldn’t get a direct answer but if I made conversation, I could coax it out of him. He clearly was going to keep me out of trouble for the day but the rest was unknown.

 

Vaas began to examine the cages, seeming to be searching for something specific. Every once in awhile he would point to a prisoner and say “that one” or something along those lines. Then a pirate would unlock the cage and take the particular prisoner out. I couldn’t tell what he was looking for until I realized their skin color and the tattoos.

 

“What the fuck is this one doing in there? Look at that, is that man fucking breathing? No? I didn’t think so, get rid of that shit,” Vaas exclaimed, talking about a deceased prisoner. The pirates were always on a tight ship with the prisoners and I had learned that from experience. If there were any dead prisoners found in the morning, they would be disposed of.

 

The pirates hurried to complete their task and Vaas finally seemed to be satisfied with the group of people he gathered from the cages. They were the natives, the Rakyat. Vaas didn’t seem to want any of them mixed in with the ones that would be sold. Perhaps they weren’t for being sold? Would they be used for another purpose? I wasn’t sure but Vaas never kept a Rakyat prisoner. He would take in the occasional native woman, using her for God knows what but all the others he would take somewhere else or kill.

 

I scanned the prisoners in the cages once again, my eye catching something familiar. A mop of dark blond hair, the same one I had found familiarity in a few times before. _It was Drake._

 

“Drake?” I called, stepping closer to the cage that he was in. He looked as if he hadn’t moved positions since the last time I saw him which had to be days ago. His fingers were still bloody and missing of course, his face hollow and he looked hungry. He looked beyond exhausted but in good enough condition to live.

 

He looked up at the sound of his name and I saw dried blood coming out of his nose. He looked surprised to see me and then confused at my attire and condition.

 

“Veronica?” he asked but before anything else could be said, Vaas butted in. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him and smiling at Drake.

 

“That’s right, hermano. Dear little Veronica is with me now,” he said, chuckling while turning to look at me. I was used to the proximity of his face near mine so I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Drake.

 

I was faced with a choice: saving Drake or leaving him to die or be sold. It wasn’t exactly my choice to make let alone my responsibility. But it tugged at my conscience, just to leave him like that after we had been through so much together. He clearly wanted out but he also looked terrified of being around the pirates. Another sentiment tugged at my brain too, the option that benefitted me. I would be safer and smarter to not bring up saving Drake. Vaas wouldn’t be so annoyed and I wouldn’t get punished. This option sounded much nicer and I found that any care I had for Drake vanished. It surprised me, my concern disappeared so briskly but I suppose it was every man for himself. Oppress the weak, obey the strong.

 

I doubted Vaas would let Drake out even if I asked.

 

“Vamos, Cosima. There are more important things than this fucker,” Vaas said and I agreed with him. He turned away from the angry and betrayed face of Drake. As he turned, he pulled me with him, not moving his arm from around my shoulders.

 

We moved closer to the lineup of natives sitting or laying on the ground with defeated faces. They were all men, no women or children. They must’ve already been filtered out or killed. I scanned them, each in rough shape while most wore no shirts or unbuttoned ones. They all had a form of tattoos on their bodies. Even some had war paint...or was that blood?

 

I wondered what would happen to them. _Most likely death,_ I answered my own question.

 

Vaas was examining the natives too, his eyes becoming animated when he found the person he was looking for. He let go of me and stood in front of a man who was trembling, the one who had lost his sense of pride.

 

“Hmm, how about this one, eh, Little Snake?” Vaas asked, smiling at me and then at the man. He bent down and examined the man closer which made him tremble even more. He had tattoos that branched from his forehead down his nose and over his eyes. They stopped at his cheeks but intertwined with each other in loops and swirls. Perhaps the tattoos represented wisdom, but wisdom could not overcome fear.

 

Vaas stood and abruptly pulled his gun from his belt, it clicked as he cocked it and he placed the barrel on the warrior’s forehead. I was slightly surprised by this quick change of events but Vaas did nothing further. He turned to look at me and smiled.

 

“Tell me, Little Snake, live or die?” he asked and I gave him a confused and bewildered look. Vaas didn’t move from his position even though the man he aimed his gun at was sniveling for mercy. “It’s your choice, _serpiente._ Will he live or die?” he asked again and I opened my mouth before closing it again. Vaas waited.

 

Why was he asking me this? Was he being serious? I was going to have to decide the fate of this man’s life. The crying man turned his gaze to me and began mumbling things in his native tongue; they sounded like pleas of mercy. I stared at the man in pity before turning to Vaas again. The pirates around us were watching with short patience.

 

“Are you going to tell me the reason why you want him dead?” I asked, trying to postpone the decision. I knew it would be death, death was always the answer. But I didn’t want to have to say it.

 

Vaas’ eyebrows knit together in disgust at my question. He pulled away from the man and walked towards me, gun still in hand. I stepped back once before Vaas was in front of me and he had his face pressed close to mine. It was a sign that he was serious.

 

“Cosima, there is no need for reason. There is no need for any reason except to kill and to protect,” he answered, poking my chest when he said protect.

 

“So I need to protect myself from this man?” I asked and Vaas nodded.

 

“These _nativas,_ they are worthless little pricks. They infest our island with their lies. Like cockroaches. And we need to exterminate them.”

 

“Our island? We?” I asked, confused.

 

“ _Sí_ , Veronica. We. Our island. These hijos de putas need to be taken care of and it is not important to question why.” He was getting irritated with me. I was losing any chance of a clear explanation. “These cockroaches get in the fucking way of _my_ business. _My_ money. They affect _your_ fucking safety. These fuckers get in your way of survival, in the way of your life.”

 

I blinked, not quite understanding what he was getting at. Were the natives innocents? Or were they actually as evil as Vaas made them out to be. Anyone who tried to stop slavery could not possibly be evil...could they?

 

“So, Little Snake, live or die?”

 

X

 

That question.

 

Live or die?

 

It echoed through my head long after the man was shot in the head. Vaas continued to lead me around the compound, allowing me to see various buildings and areas I had never seen before. I was forced to boringly “assist” him in his work. His schedule often consisted of shooting people and shooting up. He didn’t make me inject that poison into my veins but he came damn near close.

 

But his offer of drugs had brought me back to the same question.

 

_Live or die?_

 

What was he truly asking me? He was asking me if I should let the man be killed or not but there seemed to be a hidden meaning. Could he be asking _me_ if I wanted to live or die? It was possible but likely just a coincidence. But his explanation on why I should want this man dead seemed to just lead me back to the hidden question, did I want to live or die?

 

Living would be allowing the man to die; to kill all the natives, to exterminate them. Dying would be letting the man live; allowing him to have the chance to kill me and letting him get in my way. Living would be the better option. Living was what I wanted to choose.

 

Sure, a group of natives got in my way. Vaas had no trouble pushing them out of the way and neither will I.

 

X

 

“Can I ask you something, Cosima?” Vaas said, examining a newly opened box of Cuban cigars.

 

“I guess,” I sighed, wondering what he was going to ask me next considering every question he had something out of the ordinary happened.

 

“Why don’t you sound Italian?” he asked, his eyes looking up to meet mine. He was legitimately curious. “Well, you do say a few words funny but...your sister...you both had no accent.”

 

I went rigid at the mention of my sister but Vaas didn’t acknowledge it. He just stared at me, waiting for an answer with keen eyes. It was as if he had asked me about the weather rather than my dead sister. I swallowed with difficulty, trying to get the image of Eden’s dead eyes out of my head.

 

“My father’s family was from Italy. They moved to America when he was very young. My mother’s family had already been living in America for a very long time. I believe from British descent. So, from growing up around children who spoke English with American accents and from learning to speak from my mother, I learned to speak with an American accent,” I explained and Vaas nodded. He thought for a moment like he was making sense of the whole thing before nodding once. “And of course, speaking Italian for half my life gives me the strange accent.”

 

“ _Extraño_ …” he said to himself before turning away from me again and just continuing about his business as if he hadn’t spoken to me at all. I watched him in confusion for a moment before following him.

 

He seemed to be headed in a certain direction, not just wandering aimlessly as he had done quite a few times before. And as we walked, I noticed that we headed towards the sound of music and there seemed to be more pirates around. We finally stopped when we came into a large open area that had two stages (both with poles on them) as well as couches, chairs, and tables scattered around for convenience. There were a few houses surrounding the area and I noticed that they looked like living spaces rather than just cargo-storing spaces.

 

It took me a moment to realize what this place was after seeing multiple women hanging around like lizards in the sun. Their clothing (or rather lack of clothing), the stages, the poles, the uplifted platform with large speakers on it for a DJ. This part of the compound was built for a party and nothing less. And Vaas had his very own strippers to go with it.

 

Vaas wasn’t paying attention to me but rather a pirate that looked to be working on the DJ’s platform. He seemed to be having trouble with a speaker but he kept the unnecessary dubstep playing as background music. Vaas walked over to him and so did I.

 

_“Hermano!”_

 

I stopped listening to their insignificant conversation and took a closer look around the area. The women were watching me; lurking in the shadows or doorways of houses. They looked ready to pounce on me and I eyed them with caution.

 

I turned around after being lost in thought for a moment only to find that Vaas and the pirate had walked away. I made a move to follow them but a woman stepped in front of my path. I stared at her in surprise as she smiled and examined me closely. Two more girls blocked off the path behind me and I was trapped. The women still watching from the shadows looked more interested in what was happening.

 

“Hi there,” the woman in front of me said. She reached out to pull on one of my curls before her eyes drifted to my breasts. “Great tits, flat stomach, adorable hair…”

 

“And a nice ass too!” one of the voices from behind me exclaimed. The other giggled and I glared at the women, not sure what was happening.

 

“A hottie,” the third woman concluded and the other hummed in agreement.

 

“We’ll take you,” the first woman said, giving me another smile. A hand from behind me caressed my hair and I pulled away in disgust. I gave the smiling women an even nastier glare than before.

 

_“Non toccare cazzo me,”_ I growled and the woman in front of me made a sound of surprise.

 

“Ooh, Italian. _Saya tidak belajar Itali belum,”_ she giggled and I recognized the language. Some of the pirates had spoken in and I had heard some of it on the mainland. Malay or Indonesian.

 

I then took a closer look at the woman to see if she was native. I spotted a few tattoos decorating her dark skin and peeking out of her clothing but nothing tribal. She was most definitely not a native. Her accent was more American and her dark skin did not match the other natives. Her tattoos also looked modern.

 

The other women weren’t natives either. One looked almost Hispanic and the other was white. All three with gorgeous faces and bodies but I could sense their intentions with me did not match their appearances.

 

“She’s perfect. We’ll just have to make her dance,” one of the women said from behind me, pinching my ass. I jumped in surprise and whipped around with an angry glare.

 

“I said, don’t fucking touch me, you bitch!” I yelled, pushing the woman back while she laughed at herself. Her amused expression was gone in the second I had touched her.

 

“Why don’t you watch who the fuck you’re talking to, cunt!” she yelled, shoving me back. I stumbled at the force she had put into it before giving her a death glare.

 

Without hesitating, I punched the woman across the face; letting my anger boil over. She cried out and I hated to say that I enjoyed it. I had gone too long being submissive against violence and it finally felt good to hit something.

 

_God, I was going crazy..._

 

The woman next to her gasped in surprise, not expecting me to react like that but I ignored her. I glared down at the woman who had dramatically fallen to the ground while cradling her cheek. I even saw her eyes watering. She could talk shit and look tough but she didn’t have anything to show for it.

 

“Touch me again and I’ll beat the shit out of you,” I snarled but before I could do or say anything else, the back of my neck was grabbed by an unknown hand. “Hey! Let go!” I shouted but hand refused and dragged me away from the sniveling woman and the other two.

 

“I can’t leave you alone for two seconds, can I?” It was Vaas. I cursed myself for being so stupid. Of course there would be a punishment for hitting one of the prostitutes. He let me go and I found my footing as he crossed his arms. _“Mierda,_ you only hit her once? Damn, _serpiente_ …”

 

I froze in surprise, he wasn’t mad at me? He looked slightly impressed and even amused. One of the women was now helping the one I had punched to her feet and ushered her away, out of sight. But the other stayed, the black woman. She stared at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. I gave her a glare and she turned, maintaining her smirk as she walked away.

 

“You’re not mad?” I asked Vaas after the woman left. Vaas shook his head with his lips pursed. He absentmindedly kicked some dirt up with the toe of his boot.

 

“Nah, Lena was shit on the pole anyway. She gave some damn decent head though,” he said, staring at the ground as if he were remembering something. “Anyway,” he chuckled, “I only got one more thing to do and then we can eat something. _Perra flaca_ …” he muttered under his breath and I glared.

 

“Hey, you were the one who didn’t feed me,” I exclaimed and Vaas glared at me this time.

 

“Aye, shut it. No bitching, I don’t want to hear any of that shit. Okay?” he said and I gave him an exasperated look. But another glare from him made me keep my mouth shut. I still had to make sure I wasn’t pushing boundaries.

 

“Come on,” he said and I obeyed.

 

We walked to yet another part of the compound but then were stopped by a pirate who had information to report. Once again, my mind strayed since it wasn’t quite interesting to listen to whatever Vaas needed to take care of. I looked around and noticed that there were a lot of cages around. But they weren’t the bamboo ones that kept humans inside. They were metal and the heaving beasts inside did not look happy.

 

My eyes widened as I scanned the array of predators the pirates kept. A bear was caged and sleeping, looking content but covered in scars. There were more tigers than anything but there were a few leopards. One was even chained up instead of in a cage. The cats were restless and paced their small cages while some napped in the sun. I almost enjoyed the sight of the peaceful cats but an unpleasant cry reached my ears.

 

I watched in horror as a pirate yelled at a baby leopard before kicking it a few times. The baby leopard cried out and whined, unable to defend itself. I didn’t know much about caring for big cats but I did know that that baby leopard still needed its mother. I couldn’t stop myself as I ran to help the cub.

 

“Hey! What the fuck are you doing? Stop it!” I yelled, catching the man’s attention. He looked up at me and glared.

 

“So, a Little Snake thinks she can tell me what to do? Huh?” he taunted, pushing me away with a single hand before laughing and turning to kick the leopard once more. I didn’t even realize that we had caught the attention of a few pirates.

 

I gave the man a nasty look as he continued to laugh before surprising myself and everyone around me. I shoved him back and away from the leopard while holding my ground. The pirate looked shocked at my bold move but looked even more surprised when the little leopard cowered behind my legs.

 

I felt the soft fur of the small animal on the back of my legs and even felt the tail curling around my ankle. The other pirates were staring at me with wide eyes but said nothing. The man let out a furious growl and raised his fist to hit me. But a single word from his boss stopped him.

 

“What the fuck is going on here?” Vaas asked, storming over to me and the pirate.

 

“I was just...the baby leopard, he kicked it…” I struggled to form an answer and Vaas looked down at the leopard with confusion before looking to the pirate. His gaze came back to me when he realized what was going on.

 

“How kind of you, Cosima, for not tolerating animal cruelty. And because of this, you will not be in charge of this animal,” he said and my mouth opened to protest. I didn’t know how to take care of any type of animals let alone an exotic one. “Now, I think I’m done dealing with your shit today, _serpiente._ Get your kitty,” he said.

 

Instead of waiting for me to do what he said, he grabbed the leopard by the scruff of the neck and dumped the animal in my arms. The leopard mewled in discomfort but settled into my arms comfortably. Vaas then grabbed my arm and pulled me away from all the watchful pirates.

 

He was agitated but he wasn’t mad. I didn’t say a word.

 

He yanked me along until we reached a small hut that looked vacant. He tossed me inside and I stumbled but managed to keep the squirming cat in my arms and myself on my feet. Vaas stared at me for a moment before speaking.

 

“You’ll get food later now stay here and shut up,” he said, turning on his heel and slamming the door behind him. I heard the click of a lock and I stood enveloped in darkness. The only light source was a few rays of sunshine peering in from the cracks in the ceiling.

 

There weren’t any windows and only one door so I definitely wouldn’t be able to get out. Not that I wanted to, I had caused enough disruptions for one day. So I adjusted my hold on the baby leopard who mewled again before feeling around for anything in the room.

 

I finally found a light bulb hanging from the ceiling and pulled the string; everything was illuminated in the dim light and I was able to see a little better. There wasn’t much in the little hut: there was a small cot, a table, a chair, and a little bucket which was probably a toilet. I sighed and sat down on the cot, putting the leopard in my lap.

 

It let out a squeak as it settled into my warm legs and I noticed I had a little bit of blood on my arm from holding the cat. I checked the leopard’s body to find a gash on its shoulder. It wasn’t too bad but it would probably scar. I let it be, knowing that I couldn’t do anything and just began to stroke the cat.

 

It was kind of therapeutic and I enjoyed the soft purrs coming from the cub. She was a girl, I figured out after a while of sitting on the cot, and I decided that I would need to come up with a name.

 

“Fuerza.”

 

That’s what I would name her. She looked up at me with her blue eyes and meowed before purring again as I scratched the top of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Hermana: Spanish for "sister"  
> Hermosa cuerpo: Spanish for "beautiful body"  
> Hermano: Spanish for "brother"  
> Pequeña serpiente: Spanish for "little snake"  
> Tatuajes: Spanish for “tattoos”  
> Va bene, sto andando: Italian for "okay, I'm going"  
> Perra Italiana: Spanish for: "Italian bitch"  
> Por fin: Spanish for "finally"  
> Mi serpiente: Spanish for "my snake"  
> Vamos: Spanish for "come on"  
> Rojo: Spanish for "red"  
> Nativa: Spanish for "native"  
> Señora: Spanish for "lady"  
> Serpiente: Spanish for "snake"  
> Te ves muy bien en rojo: Spanish for "you look very good in red"  
> Chicas guapas: Spanish for "pretty girls"  
> Nativas: Spanish for "natives"  
> Sí: Spanish for "yes"  
> Hijos de putas: Spanish for "sons of bitches"  
> Extraño: Spanish for "strange"  
> Non taccare cazzo me: Italian for "don't fucking touch me"  
> Saya tidak belajar Itali belum: Indonesian for "I haven't learned Italian yet"  
> Mierda: Spanish for "shit"  
> Perra flaca: Spanish for "skinny bitch"  
> Fuerza: Spanish for "strength or force"


	9. Please Save Me From Myself

Chapter 8 - Please Save Me From Myself

_The path to paradise begins in hell._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

I jumped out of sleep as the door to the hut flew open, letting warm sunlight pour in. I squinted as my eyes adjusted and the sound of Fuerza’s tiny yawn reached my ears. She had slept on me all night which was like having a small dog on me since she was a leopard cub but I thought it was cute. I was forced to share my meal with her last night which was delivered by a pirate that wasn’t Vaas. I didn’t see him for the rest of the day after what had happened with Fuerza.

 

“Time to wake up, Veronica,” a voice said with a Hispanic accent. I looked at the figure of the man with a confused look; this was the first time a pirate had called me by my real name besides Vaas.

 

I stood from the cot, brushing back the hair from my face and walking towards the door. Fuerza’s paws that were much too big for her body size pattered after me. I could almost feel her breath on my legs. When I stepped outside, I could see the pirate better and I recognized his face.

 

He was Carlos. The man who had gotten that disgusting pirate away from me. I remember him feeding me a few times as well. He was Latino or something of that sort. He was tall and muscular; his build was on the skinnier side. Now that I had a closer look at him, he was young, possibly around my age and maybe even younger.

 

“Carlos...right?” I asked, feeling Fuerza crawl between my boots and stand there. He nodded and turned, gesturing for me to follow.

 

“Yeah, now come on. Vaas wants you,” he said, beginning to walk away but I grabbed his shoulder. He turned to face me again with a confused look.

 

“Thanks, you know, for before. With Manolo…” I said and Carlos looked even more confused for a moment. But then he remembered and he nodded.

 

“No problem,” he said before walking away, expecting for me to follow.

 

I ignored his blunt answer and just trailed behind him while Fuerza stayed by my side. She didn’t leave the safety of my legs and kept her ears back the entire time we walked through the compound. I could tell she was uncomfortable.

 

Carlos led me towards the rather large gathering of pirates standing near the entrance of the compound. They were all relaxing with cigars or talking while leaning or sitting on trucks. Carlos walked right past them and I made sure to stay close. We walked towards a particular truck, one with a certain scar-faced man nearby it.

 

Vaas was standing by the hood of the truck. There was a map in front of him and a few pirates were listening to him discuss something. He was pointing to a certain point on the map and the other pirates nodded. Carlos made me stand outside the small circle of pirates and we waited for Vaas to finish speaking. Fuerza weaved in and out of my legs, keeping her watchful eyes on the pirates.

 

“Alright, now get these fuckers in the trucks. You’re gonna move out and meet me at the waypoint. Don’t fucking do anything when you get there. Don’t move, don’t touch anything, don’t make a sound. Don’t even scratch your balls,” Vaas said and the pirates all weakly agreed with words along the lines of “sure thing, boss.”

 

The pirates disbanded and quickly blended in with the rest of the crowd gathered. Orders from each of them could be heard and Vaas folded up his map neatly before shoving it into his pocket. He looked up and saw me and Carlos, he smiled.

 

“Well, _buenos_ _días,_ Veronica. Did you sleep well?” he asked. He was clearly in a better mood and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had traces of ecstasy running through his veins.

 

“Yes, much better than any other night,” I replied and Vaas chuckled. “I see your little kitty is okay,” he said, a little disgruntled at the sight of the cat. Fuerza looked up at him almost as if she knew he was talking about her.

 

“Fuerza,” I interjected. Vaas gave me a confused stare. “That’s her name. Not little kitty,” I said and Vaas scrutinized me for a moment before looking to the cat again.

 

“Fuerza…” he mused with his arms crossed. “Strength...good name,” he said and I wasn’t sure if he was intending to compliment me or not. The meaning of Fuerza’s name was in fact strength, it was Spanish so he understood it.

 

“Thank you,” I said, figuring it would be nice to show gratefulness just in case. Vaas then looked to Carlos and nodded. Carlos immediately grabbed Fuerza and held her in a way that didn’t allow her to claw or bite him. “Hey! What the fuck are you doing? Put her down!” I yelled, trying to snatch Fuerza from his arms but Carlos had already begun to walk away.

 

Fuerza mewled and growled, trying to fight Carlos but he was too strong for her to fight. Her wounds had not healed either so she was forced to be taken away. Vaas held onto my arm, his hands grabbing my burn so that I wouldn’t run after her. I let out a pained shout at his roughness and stopped trying to run.

 

“Let go, that shit fucking hurts,” I muttered, pulling my arm from his grasp and holding it to my chest. There was blood on Vaas’ hand from where he touched the burn and I focused on pushing the pain from my mind. The burn felt like Vaas had just twisted the knife inside and I wished for it to heal quicker.

 

“Hmm, I forgot about that…” Vaas said, more to himself than me. He walked around to the passenger door of the truck and pulled out a first aid kit. He rummaged through it before pulling out a clean bandage. _“Ven aca,”_ he said, motioning for me to come closer.

 

“No disinfectant?” I asked and Vaas gave me an annoyed look.

 

“You want me to fucking put this away? Cause if you don’t want it, I’m happy to put it back,” he snapped and I shut my mouth with a small sigh. “Fucking sew your lips shut with all this complaining…”

 

 _“Culo grosero…”_ I mumbled and Vaas laughed. His ever-changing mood was always surprising and I sure risked getting punished whenever I opened my mouth. “Where are we going? And where’s Fuerza going?” I asked, the last truck full of pirates leaving the compound with dust on their trail.

 

“We are going on what I like to call a little _invasión._ The boys call it a rampage,” he answered, concentrating on tying the bandage around my burn. I winced as he pressed too hard in some areas but I knew I needed the barrier between my charred skin and the outside air. “Don’t worry about your damn kitty, he’ll be fine.”

 

“She,” I corrected, with a sharp voice. “She’ll be fine. And she better be,” I said, my voice low as I tried to look in the direction Carlos had walked. Vaas got my attention back by pulling at a piece of blackened skin that wasn’t ready to peel off yet. I yelped and turned back to face him.

 

“What exactly do we do on this rampage?” I asked, eyeing his hands as he dressed my wound. He answered just as he finished tying the knot on the bandage.

 

“There, _como nuevo,”_ he said, seeming a bit proud of his handiwork. “A rampage is when we invade the native camps. We drive in there, guns blazing like an action movie. Boom! Boom! Boom! The natives are scared shitless.” Vaas moved his hands around for explaining this notion and I flinched when he made loud the loud sound effects of explosions. “It’s actually kinda funny. You should see their faces, Cosima. It’s priceless. They cry and they beg like little children. It’s crazy.”

 

I watched his smile grow even wider with wary eyes. Did he really enjoy other people’s pain that much?

 

“And then we take it all. And burn it all to the ground,” he finished, proud of this tactic he seemed to have come up with.

 

“And what happens to the natives?” I asked, a bit nervous to hear what he was going to reply.

 

“Well, it’s not like I have a huge problem with the bastards, but the boss hates the fuckers with a passion. I don’t know, I’m not sure. He wants them all dead. So…” he clicked his tongue and motioned a gun to my temple. He met my eyes for a moment, his crazed brown ones meeting my near black ones. And then the pulled the “trigger”, or rather his thumb, and made a gunshot sound.

 

“Even the children?” I questioned, even more hesitant to go along with his rampages.

 

“Yup,” he answered with cheerfulness. I was shocked at this but I knew there would be nothing I could say to change his actions. He was too merciless. “We take some hostages for the business and some to play with. But destroying their shit is much more fun,” he grinned and I stared at him.

 

Vaas’ grin didn’t leave his face as he opened the passenger door and gestured for me to get in.

 

“Well, Veronica? You ready to let it all go?” he asked and I blinked, still frozen in place.

 

With getting in that truck, he was asking me to kill. To murder. And in another second, without a second thought, I had gotten into the truck and Vaas was driving us down the road.

 

X

 

“Alright, so the plan is simple, Veronica,” Vaas said. I noticed how he was using my real name more often. “We bust in and take the fuckers by surprise. The little town has some Rakyat fucks in it but we’ll kill the bastards before they know what hit ‘em. Then you just shoot what’s in sight, the boys will take care of the explosives and the hostages. Okay? Alright? Don’t fuck this up, Ronnie.”

 

I blanched at his use of my old nickname. The nickname that was only used by my dead brother and sister. Flashbacks were immediately thrown at me, happy memories, sad memories, angry memories, and they all led up to the moment of Eden’s death. I hadn’t even noticed my white knuckling on the seat.

 

“Cosiimaa…” Vaas said, singing my name to try and get my attention. “Aye!” he yelled, snapping his fingers at me. I jumped and turned to look at him, he watched me with careful eyes. He then laughed, turning his eyes back to the road. “You checked out there for a second, _hermana_. You gotta stay focused, and as I was saying don’t fuck it up. You got it?”

 

“Yeah, I got it,” I responded still sounding a bit distant. “Who are the Rakyat?” I asked, wanting to figure out this whole Native deal.

 

“A bunch of pussies, don’t worry about them. All you need to worry your pretty, little, white ass about is shooting a gun at anyone not wearing red. _Bien?_ Good,” he said, turning his attention back to the road.

 

I nodded in agreement but he wasn’t looking at me. We just continued to speed down the dirt road with loud dubstep pulsing from the radio. My hands were still gripping the seat from Vaas’ nickname for me but I held on tight anyway as Vaas jerked the truck all over the road. He was nodding his head to the music and was utterly relaxed at the wheel despite how terribly he was driving. We hit rocks and bumps, causing me to grit my teeth in fear of possibly driving off road and into a tree or off a cliff.

 

We finally arrived at the rendezvous point and all the pirates were waiting as ordered. Vaas slammed on the breaks when we pulled up next to them and I put my hand out on the dashboard to keep my head from flying forward.

 

“Let’s move, cocksuckers!” Vaas yelled, hopping out of the truck and not even bothering to open the door.

 

The pirates were already read to go, guns in their hands and a truck full of explosives ready. Vaas went right to the back of the truck and began to dig through the mess of...whatever was in there.

 

I followed him, opening the door and getting out before joining him. I scanned the bed of the truck and my eyes widened at the sight of messily piled guns and grenades. Bullets and ammo were freely rolling around as well.

 

“You drive horribly,” I commented quietly, still feeling a little shaky from the ride over. Vaas only laughed before putting some sort of machine gun in my hands. I had absolutely no idea what it would be called, I didn’t know much about guns.

 

“You have shot a gun before, right?” Vaas asked, hints of mockery in his voice as he watched me examine the gun with wide eyes. He thought it was funny…

 

“Pistols and shit like that, but nothing like this…” I said and Vaas reached over, jerking a lever backwards and then forwards, making a bunch of clicking noises. He then flipped what I knew was the safety off.

 

“Simple, you just pull the trigger and spray it,” Vaas said and I nodded even though his advice seemed was common sense. He slipped another clip into my back pocket before lightly slapping my ass. “Alright, _vamos.”_ He had also slipped a pistol into my belt.

 

He waved for me to follow him and began to walk towards where the pirates had gone. I glared at him but just scowled and followed. We entered the foliage of the jungle and began to creep along until we reached another tree line. A few pirates joined our flank and peered out of the grass with us.

 

It was a small camp and not very impressive. A few shacks were pulled together and looked to be falling apart. Two separate campfires were going and both were cooking food. The amount of Rakyat men that were in the camp did not match the scene. What were so many doing in such a worthless place?

 

Vaas then made a motion and a few pirates immediately were on the move. It was like they had done this routine millions of times. I watched as a team of pirates gathered outside the shanty houses and run down walls around the camp. My eyes were intently scanning the camp, trying to find what was so important. And then I saw it.

 

It was a larger shack that looked newer than the others. More Rakyat men stood around that particular shack and if you paid really close attention, you could see the butts of guns and the green of grenades. It was an armory, heavy artillery. And the pirates were about to steal it all.

 

I looked to Vaas to see his eyes alight with anticipation. He was holding a walkie-talkie in his hand and he refused to take his eyes off the sight in front of him. His finger pressed the button and he spoke.

 

“Go.”

 

With that word, about three grenades filled the camp along with one smoke bomb. All three grenades were a safe distance from the armory while the smoke bomb covered the safe house with smoke. The Rakyat were immediately thrown into confusion but their cries were quickly silenced with the explosions.

 

The grenades took a lot of the men out and the rest were either limbless or in disarray. The pirates then entered the camp, ignoring the smoke and the blood, and unleashed their firepower on the soldiers.

 

Screams and yells for help rang out in foreign accents as the pirates killed off a few of the Rakyat. The others who had the quick senses to hide and use their guns were fighting back. I watched as one pirate fell to the ground dead while another was wounded.

 

“Get them, you cocksuckers!” Vaas yelled just as one of the trucks pulled up in front of the camp. Vaas quickly ran forward to take cover behind the truck along with a few other pirates who followed his lead.

 

I was frozen for a moment, not quite sure whether I was going to follow him or not. I certainly didn’t want to, I wasn’t crazy, I didn’t want to die. But at the same time, the thrill was tugging at my curiosity.

 

_What was it like to fire this gun? What did it feel like? What did it feel like to kill?_

 

Next thing I knew, I was at Vaas’ side, staying crouched against the side of the truck. I clutched the machine gun in my hands and found them to be trembling slightly. Was it adrenaline or fear? My heart was pumping too rapidly for me to know.

 

Vaas was having no problem at all shooting his gun haphazardly at the remaining soldiers and even laughed while doing it. He enjoyed this.

 

His excitement encouraged me and I peered over the safety of the truck. I pulled the trigger and felt the gun vibrating in my hands. The recoil was making my aim off but I wasn’t really aiming anyway. Even more adrenaline pumped through me and I loved it.

 

A grin found its way onto my mouth as I kept shooting the machine gun. It was exhilarating yet terrifying. I wasn’t even sure if I had hit anyone but the sound of the gun in my ears was enough to satisfy.  

 

The fight was over quickly as it was a surprise attack and there were more pirates than Rakyat. I was out of breath and wasn’t able to cheer with the rest of the pirates. The group immediately began to bring the rest of the trucks around and load up the cargo. Others began to scavenge the dead bodies, fighting over money and cigarettes.

 

I just stood there, coming down from my high. I watched Vaas supervise the loading of the weapons, barking orders about being careful and letting out sounds of delight at his prizes.

 

Once all the artillery was loaded into the trucks and carefully strapped in, Vaas returned to me and the truck. He was smiling and seemed pleased. I realized that this is what put him in a good mood.

 

“Ay, Veronica! _Muy bueno!_ You did excellent,” he praised and his happy tone was a bit unfamiliar. “How did you like it? The gun is nice, yes?”

 

“Very nice. It was...fun,” I answered, still slightly out of breath. Vaas let out a laugh and I was a bit more reassured with my feelings. I wasn’t the only one who found the fighting fun.

 

“Uh-oh. Lookie here,” Vaas said, grabbing my arm and examining my bicep. I looked down and was shocked to find it bleeding. I was also covered in a light layer of dirt from crouching on the ground and the blood had dripped down my arm. “Ronnie has a boo-boo. Your first battle scar.” He seemed pleased.

 

“It’s not that deep,” I commented after looking at it closer. A bullet had skimmed my bicep, leaving a gash. I didn’t even notice. But after noticing it, the pain from it began to set in. It wasn’t too bad but it stung.

 

 _“Vamos,_ let’s head back,” Vaas said and I realized that nearly all the other trucks had pulled out and left.

 

 _“Va bene,”_ I answered which earned an eye roll from Vaas.

 

We hopped into the truck and Vaas sped away. He drove as carelessly and recklessly as he did before with dubstep blasting from the radio once again. I tried to keep my open gash from hitting anything but it was difficult with Vaas’ driving. I would wince or hiss every time I bumped it. Vaas didn’t notice, too busy listening to his music.

 

We arrived outside the compound and I noticed that there was a rather peaceful looking river nearby. The water was clear and there was a waterfall followed by multiple boulders, looking almost like the screensaver on a computer.

 

I tapped Vaas’ shoulder and he turned his music down, turning to look at me.

 

_“Qué?”_

 

“That river. Can I go over there?” I asked and Vaas slammed on the breaks. I had to put my hand on the dashboard to not slam my head against it.

 

“What river? That one?” he asked, nodding to it. I nodded.

 

“Just some relaxing time, you know. I can clean myself off there,” I said, gesturing to my dirt covered self and bloody arm. “I won’t go anywhere and I’ll be back to the compound soon.”

 

Vaas thought for a minute before rolling his eyes and scowling.

 

“Fine. But I’m sending a guard out here with you. Don’t need you running off,” he said but I felt like the guard was more to protect me than keep me from escaping.

 

“Thank you, I won’t be long,” I said, getting out of the truck.

 

Vaas sped off, rounding a corner and entering the compound. I was left behind in the dust. I made my way over to the river and was comforted by relief with the cool water.

 

It wasn’t long before a pirate showed up. He had come on foot since the compound wasn’t really that far away. We didn’t greet each other. We made eye contact and I turned back to my task. He seemed impatient and annoyed to be on the job of watching me. I just ignored him.

 

I rinsed my cut out and watched the blood wash away and leave clean skin. It was silent except for the rustle of water, call of birds, and the clicks of stones as I waded my way into the water. It only reached my shins but I used the water to clean the dirt off my arms and face. I began to hum, not bothering to look at the pirate who was boredly pacing, waiting for me to finish.

 

“How much fucking long―hey, what the fuck was that?” the pirate said, his voice suddenly concerned.

 

I turned to see what he was nervous about. He was scanning the tree line, his hands clenched around his gun. I looked where he did, trying to see what the problem was. As I gazed around, I thought I saw a flash of orange through the brush but it was gone in a second. It almost looked like the fur of a tiger…

 

Not a second later, a powerful roar ripped through the air just as the tiger jumped from the jungle life. I jumped back in surprise while the man was frozen in fear and shock.

 

“Tiger!” he yelled, as if there were others there to hear him. He began to empty the clip of his machine gun, not bothering to aim and the bullets sprayed everywhere in his panic. Yet he only managed to hit the tiger twice in the shoulder. The tiger snarled at this and I watched as blood dripped into his white underbelly.

 

The pirate struggled to reload but the tiger had no mercy. He ran at the pirate and had snapped his neck within a few seconds. The screams of the pirate were silenced immediately and the tiger began to sniff at his body, it was like he hadn’t noticed me yet.

 

My flight response kicked in and I scrambled in the opposite direction of the tiger. To my disadvantage, we were in an area that was blocked off by tall rocks and water. It was a clear area so there was no chance of me outrunning the tiger even if I wanted to try to make it to the tree line. And to make it worse, I was left alone with only the pistol Vaas gave me to defend myself.

 

I tried to climb up on a few outcroppings of rock to get myself to higher grounds but I was too clumsy and slow. In my frenzied scramble, I caught the tiger’s attention and a rock sliced deep into my palm. I hissed in pain and fell to the ground.

 

I hit the hard ground with a grunt, propping my elbow up and clutching my spinning head as if I were steadying it. A bump was forming on the back of my skull. I blinked, gathering my bearings again after I examined the blood dripping from my palm. Suddenly, a deep growl reached my ears. The growl sent fear pooling into my stomach and I lifted my head up to see the tiger staring directly at me yards away. Its tail was flicking back and forth and he was crouched in a stalking position.

 

With the tall rocks above me and safety so close, I felt like I could’ve saved myself. The scene reminded me of ancient Rome when the Emperor put slaves into an arena and watched as the tiger butchered the slaves. Of course, no one was there to be entertained by my death but still.

 

I slowly reached for my gun, which was difficult while lying on my side. But my hand grasped thin air. My breath caught in my throat and I looked around to find that it had fallen in a different direction from when I fell. I couldn’t see it so it must have fallen into the shallow water, I guessed that it had fallen to the right. I would have to run and find the gun as fast as I could but that kind of time didn’t exist when a tiger was hunting you. My gaze stayed frozen on the tiger, watching him carefully as his shoulders shifted and his eyes were alight with excitement.

 

Amidst the fear, I was able to examine the tiger from this view. He was old. His body aged and skinny. He must not have eaten in a long time. One of his eyes was blind and there were multiple bullet wounds and scars that decorated his fur. He had been through many battles. Blood still stained his shoulder from where the pirate had shot him. This tiger had been through a lot. I could only hope his strength was diminished. But a snarl that came from his terrifying jaws made me think twice.

 

“Oh... _shit,”_ I barely uttered, the words coming out so breathy that I could hardly understand them myself.

 

I then slowly pulled my knife out of my belt, which I luckily still had, and the tiger growled at my movement. I began to sit up and the tiger’s growls intensified which continued to build up the anxiety in my chest. But I continued to push closer to the edge of danger. I was _not_ going to die like this. I was sitting now but when I made a move to stand, the tiger let out a ferocious snarl and charged.

 

I couldn’t have screamed if I wanted to, my throat was closed in fear. I quickly got to my feet while clenching the knife in my hand, ignoring the pain in my cut hand. I dodged the tiger but I wasn’t fast enough. His claws dragged across my right thigh and I cried out, gritting my teeth but I had to ignore the pain. I had to get to my gun. It was my only chance of survival.

 

My eyes scanned the shallow and clear water, locating my black gun with ease in seconds. But the tiger wasn’t done yet. I held the knife in an offensive position and regained my footing as the tiger charged again. I only managed to swipe him on the side before sprinting as fast as I could to my gun. The only sound I could hear was the pounding footsteps of the tiger running after me.

 

I dove for the gun, adrenaline pulsing through me like a drug. I could feel my skin scrape against the rough rocks but I paid no attention to it. The tiger jumped on me before I could get my gun ready. A scream made its way out of my throat as terror and pain spread through me. The tiger had slashed me on my stomach. And he had cut me deep.

 

Driven by the desperate need to survive, my body moved for me. I kicked the tiger, hitting him on the snout. It stunned him for a moment but he recovered much quicker than I anticipated. Another scream was wrenched from my mouth as the tiger clawed my face.

 

Blood was streaming into my eye and down my leg and stomach. The wounds were so deep, my eye was seeing red. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel too much pain. It must have been the adrenaline and fear that numbed it all. But I could feel myself growing weaker.

 

But the tiger wouldn’t let up. I barely managed to keep him off me with my legs as. He was an old and tired tiger, he was weak. I would be dead if the tiger was young and strong. I was lying on my back, the tiger over top of me. His teeth were bared menacingly and his one eye was filled with bloodlust.

 

_Almost like Vaas._

 

I struggled to keep the tiger away while he swiped and swatted at me. It was hard to focus on using a gun correctly while a tiger attacked you. But I did it. After struggling horribly.

 

Five shots echoed through the jungle before I was entirely sure that the tiger was dead. A few shots might have just been out of paranoia. The tiger’s body went limp on top of me; the sound of his hunger and anticipation were silenced.

 

I was breathing heavily and my heart was hammering against my ribcage. I was sure it would pound right through my chest. I stayed frozen for a moment, trying to get a hold of what had just happened. It was hard to believe that I was alive.

 

Blood from the three bullet holes in the tiger’s head and the two in his chest rushed onto me but I acted as if it wasn’t there. I could only blink and lay there with the heavy tiger on top of me.

 

“Cosima? Veronica!” I heard Vaas’ voice yell. Footsteps pounded towards me and in that time, I shook myself out of shock and shoved the limp tiger off of me. “Fuck, Veronica,” he pulled me to my feet with a smile, “that was sick! You almost died!”

 

There was laughter in his voice but I ignored it. The other pirates were looking around for any sign of danger while another kicked the body of the tiger to make sure it was dead. I looked down at my wounds to see four cuts on my thigh, they didn’t look too deep. But the four gashes on my stomach were. They gushed blood and they were wide. I couldn’t see my face but judging by the pain near my eye and the amount of blood sliding down my sweaty skin, the cut was something to worry about.

 

I suddenly felt fatigued.

 

My eyes felt like they were dragging with every movement and I looked up at Vaas to find his usual smile. He nudged me on the shoulder as if he was proud of me but I didn’t process it.

 

“Shit, Ronnie, you okay?” he asked, gazing at my wounds with slight concern. I ignored the name he had used for me. I didn’t respond, getting lightheaded and only thought to press my hands to my stomach. My hands were soaked with blood in less than a couple of seconds, not really having the effect I wanted. “Hey, _hermana_. You alright?” Vaas asked again but his voice grew distant and his face blurry.

 

The pirates around us had become red blobs with no real shape. My eyes fluttered and I could hear my slowing heart beat in my ears. I looked back down at my red-soaked hands before feeling my legs finally give out. I went crashing down. I never seemed to stop falling. Gravity continued to pull me into the darkness even though my body had reached the ground.

 

I fell until I could see the light no more and Vaas’ voice, still indistinct, couldn’t be heard.

 

X

 

_Pain makes us strong but, a lot of pain makes us mad._

 

X

 

_It was dark. Pitch black. I squinted to try and see something but there was just nothingness. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in my stomach and I cringed, looking down to see the four claw marks where the tiger had clawed me. Blood had started to seep from the wound so I put my hand over it to apply pressure._

 

_“Hello?” I called tentatively. My voice echoed through the black void and no one responded._

 

_Then the darkness started to fade into brilliant shades of green and brown. I watched in awe as the image of a jungle, much like the one on the island, started to appear. It was so realistic looking that I longed to reach out and touch it. Just as I was about to place a finger on a damp leaf, a voice made me jump and I yanked my hand away._

 

 _“You have_ quite _a scratch there. You must have run into something with_ wicked _claws…” the voice drawled. It was familiar, the sentence was familiar. It was the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland._

 

_I whipped my head to where his voice had come from and sure enough, there he was. Black mist swirled off his body as his tail flicked back and forth while he sat on a branch. That wide and terrifying smile was spread across his lips, revealing his sharp teeth._

 

_“The Cheshire Cat…” I mused as if he couldn’t hear me. I raised an eyebrow and walked towards him slowly. My hand was still pressed to my stomach but it was coated in blood now, yet I wasn’t weary or weakened._

 

_“How did you know, my dear?” the cat responded but the question was made to make me feel stupid. So I didn't reply._

 

_The cat disappeared and I looked around, knowing he was bound to pop up somewhere. But while I was searching, I saw masked faces in the jungle. Red masks, ones that looked like devils. Fire dripped from their mouths and their eyes glowed like burning embers. Long horns were coming out of the tops of their heads. It was all a very terrifying appearance. They were watching me but disappeared into the trees when I spotted them._

 

_Before I could react, the cat’s wide grin was next to my face and I jumped back in surprise. The rest of his body faded into visibility and I watched him cautiously as he examined my wound._

 

_“It’s a pity, but you’ll survive,” he said nonchalantly before floating away. I blanched for a moment, was that all he was going to say? He had helped Alice in the movies but he was just going to leave me here alone? I saw his figure begin to disappear but I called out._

 

_“Wait! Do you know where I am? Or how I can get out of here? I think this is a dream, but it’s all so familiar…” I trailed off, looking around the dense jungle again. When I scanned the trees again, I saw the stripes of a tiger. It weaved in and out of the foliage, teasing me with the idea of danger. The cat became opaque again and he sat back on his branch while watching me with a smile. It was as if he were amused by my confusion. “Can you help me? I don’t know where to go.”_

 

 _“The question is...where do you_ want _to go?” the cat sighed and I rolled my eyes. He was speaking right from the script and I was not amused at his joking manner. The derailing question might’ve been straight from the movie but I couldn’t stop myself from answering._

 

_“I guess it doesn’t really matter as long as_ _ㅡ_ _”_

 

 _“Then it doesn’t really matter_ where _you go,” the cat said, cutting me off as he began to evaporate into mist again. This time, his stripes disappeared before his entire body did._

 

_I became even more frustrated and glared at the space where the cat used to be. I didn’t really know what I expected if I already knew what the cat was going to say. The cat had gone but I could still hear him._

 

 _“You know where you want to go, Veronica. You know what you have to do. You know what you want. You just won’t_ admit _it.”_

 

_“Admit what?” I spat, clenching my hands into fists. I could see the cat’s eyes through the brush and his mouth became visible as well._

 

 _“Admit that you are attracted to_ him _. Attracted to the danger. You want him, don’t you...but you refuse. Why?” the cat asked and I glared up at him. He smiled and his lips seemed to curl up at the ends in an evil way. He hadn’t said Vaas’ name but we both knew who he was talking about._

 

_“Well, he’s absolutely crazy. He’s insane. He kills people for fun,” I explained. I would’ve continued but the cat cut me off again._

 

 _“We’re all mad here, Veronica. He’s mad. Even_ you’re _mad. You just don’t quite know it yet. And besides, you’ve killed people. You’ve killed people for fun as well.” I scowled at him and he gave me another infamous smile. Flashbacks of me ripping apart the pirate that had shot my sister flickered in my head. The blood, the machete, the pirates encouraging me. His severed head staring up at me with wide and terrified eyes. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the memory._

 

_“I’m not crazy and you don’t know a thing about me,” I growled but it was clear that I was just denying his accusation. But he wouldn’t stop smiling and I hated it. He thought he was right and I knew he was. But I wouldn’t let him win._

 

 _“Say what you want, but I think we_ both _know just how mad you are.”_

 

_Those were his last words to me. He began to fade away again until he was nothing but a wide grin. I glared fiercely at it until the smile disappeared as well. Being alone in the jungle unnerved me and I looked around to see if there was anything nearby. The jungle was nothing to mess with and even I knew that._

 

_Another voice made me jump and I whipped around to face whoever it was. The trees in front of me had disappeared into steam, leaving a pathway for me that led to a clearing. A meadow, perhaps._

 

_“Veronica!” my mother’s voice echoed and I saw her standing in the clearing. I stepped into the meadow and was able to get a closer look. She was wearing white, like an angel, and she didn’t look sad or exhausted anymore. I almost didn’t recognize her._

 

_“Mom?” I called, walking towards her with an expression of confusion. But suddenly, a little girl ran past me with her long, black hair flouncing in the wind and her bare feet covered in dirt. Her tinkling laugh rang through the air as she ran towards my mother. She welcomed the strange little girl with open arms and swung her through the air. Both of them laughed in joy before my mother kissed the child on the cheek._

 

_I watched this display in confusion and silence, trying to figure out who this little girl was. My mother and the little girl turned to look at me, my mother’s arms still wrapped around the child. And when I saw her eyes, I knew who she was._

 

_She was me._

 

_“There you are! We’ve been waiting for so long!” my mother exclaimed, smiling brightly at me. She was beautiful. I felt dirty and unfit to be in my mother’s presence. I was bloody and messy while she wore pure white and had flawless, glowing skin. We wore complete opposite clothing. Mine didn’t exactly cover my body completely and it was black, my mother wore white and her dress swept the ground._

 

_I couldn’t help but smile a little at her before walking towards her, longing for the embrace of my mother. When I reached them, the younger version of myself grinned at me and my mother smiled her gorgeous smile._

 

_“Look at you, all grown up. You get more beautiful each day,” she said, looking as if she wanted to reach out and touch me but she didn’t. The girl nodded and looked at me with admiration. “I’m so proud of you, baby,” she said and I felt the urge to cry. What sort of torture was this?_

 

_My mother was suddenly closer to me and the girl was standing on her own feet. We were almost face-to-face. She looked straight into my eyes and I realized that we were the same height now. I stared back into her eyes and felt a stab in my heart from seeing that baby blue color. Deep in those blue eyes I could see sorrow and regret. I could only guess what it was for but I liked to believe it was for leaving us._

 

_She looked down at my stomach with concern and pulled my hand away from it. I expected to feel pain as her hand gently poked my wound but I felt nothing. She pulled her hand away and looked at it, it was covered in blood but it looked strange against her bright skin. Her face twisted in confusion; she looked like she had never seen blood before. I wanted to laugh; blood was no foreigner to me. Blood was a close friend, I saw it every day and it was a comfort._

 

_My younger self looked concerned as well and worry was evident on her face. I opened my mouth to speak, to say what I should’ve said to my mother before she died but her figure grew fuzzy, like a TV with no reception. I wanted to cry out for her to stay but a scream that came from the little girl got my attention._

 

_My father had appeared, he was wearing all black, just like me. He was gripping the little girl by her bicep and I could recall just how hard he would squeeze. Tears started to stream down the girl’s face and she cried out when my father hit her. His hand hitting her face echoed through the meadow._

 

_“You’re a worthless piece of shit, Veronica!” my father yelled, his grip tightening around the girl’s bicep. She was sniffling and gazing up at him in fear. My gaze had turned vicious and I glared at him with a fiery look in my eyes. “You’re a fucking mistake that managed to fuck everything up.” Furious tears began to burn the back of my eyes at the familiar words._

 

_My father then turned to me, keeping his hold on the little girl who was leaning away from him. I noticed that there were bruises and cuts all over her, they hadn’t been there before. When did they appear? My father’s glare was on me now but he stayed away from me._

 

_“Just look at what you’ve done. Look at the blood on your hands. You killed Mason and you cover it up by making up a fucking imaginary person. You are weak. You can’t even face the fact that you killed your own brother.” My heart pounded in my ears and I could feel the growing panic striking my heart. It was getting harder to hold in the tears._

 

_“And now Eden is dead. You killed her, Veronica. This is your fault. You brought her to this Hell Island and now she’s dead. You murdered your own sister. And now you’re lusting after this man who tortured you and caused you all this pain. You’re the monster, not me. You disgusting slut,” he spat with absolute contempt. I shook my head at him like I was trying to deny what I had done._

 

_Tears had begun to stream down my cheeks as I thought of the truth in his words. He was right. He was so right. My father turned back to the younger version of myself and hit her one last time. But this hit was hard, it knocked her to the ground and she yelped in pain. I felt my heart jump in fear and I grit my teeth._

 

_“Don’t touch her, you bastard!” I yelled, running at him. But just as I was about to tackle him to the ground, he evaporated into thin air._

 

_I fell to the ground, slightly confused at what had just happened. I laid on my side, looking around for my father but saw no one. Except my younger self. She was lying on the ground in the same position that I was in. We both stared at each other, a mirror image but one older than the other._

 

_It was silent as we stared at each other. I had a bit of fear in my eyes as I scanned the little girl, seeing the bruises and cuts that decorated her skin like artwork. They had appeared out of nowhere but I had remembered my little body being battered and bruised like that so long ago. The girl replicated the look I had in my eyes, she scanned me as well, looking terrified at my wounds and beaten body._

 

_My eyes strayed from my younger self to scan the scenery once again. Everything was so bright and colorful; flowers were in full bloom, the grass was lush, the leaves in the trees swayed with the breeze. I contrasted with the clearing. I was dressed in black, covered in blood. But something else caught my eye that contrasted as well._

 

_It was a man, he was standing farther away from me, closer to the tree line. He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. I was too far away to identify him and before I could stand, my younger self was already running towards the man._

 

_“Mason!” she exclaimed, her voice excited and happy._

 

_My eyes widened and I pulled myself to my feet, my jaw dropped slightly as I took in the features of his face. I recognized him now. I immediately pressed my hands to my ears and shook my head. I hoped I wouldn’t hear him calling to me but his voice reached me anyway._

 

_“Ronnie! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Mason said. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or my younger self._

 

_I clenched my eyes shut in hopes of blocking him out. My legs seemed to be frozen in place, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t escape. The light, airy dream had become a sudden nightmare. Facing Mason was ten times worse than facing my father._

 

_The little girl’s laughter twinkled through the air along with Mason’s chuckle. A small gust of wind hit my face and I opened my eyes in surprise to find that I was suddenly in front of Mason. Either I had moved or he had moved, but none of it made sense anyway. Mason held the little girl at his side, keeping a protective arm around her. He smiled at her before turning to me._

 

_After staring at Mason’s familiar face for a moment, I let my rigid form relax. My hands slowly fell to my sides as I took in the comforting aura around my brother. I hadn’t seen him for so long and I realized I had missed him._

 

_But Mason’s expression changed. He suddenly looked sad and pained, and it took me a while to realize that a blood spot was growing on his chest. My eyes widened in horror at the knife that had appeared in his chest._

 

_It was in the exact same spot that I had stabbed him._

 

_It was in so deep that the blade itself was not visible and Mason’s white shirt was drenched in blood. Mason looked almost unaffected by the wound but he looked down at it with sorrow. The little girl looked terrified, staring at the knife in fear with tears rolling down her cheeks._

 

_“Why did you kill me, Ronnie?” he asked but I was already running._

 

_I ran back the way I came, through the jungle as fast as my legs would carry me. I tripped and stumbled multiple times but it didn’t keep me from stopping. Yet Mason’s voice still reached me as it had before. I could still hear the cries from the little girl as she pleaded for Mason to live._

 

_I turned to look back, knowing it would be a bad idea, but tripped again, falling forward and rolling down a hill. I rolled into yet another clearing but it wasn’t the same one as before. I looked up, panting heavily from running and hauled myself to my feet._

 

_Would the dead people never stop coming? Who was next?_

 

_I don’t know why I bothered to ask myself that question. Of course I knew who was coming next._

 

_“Why did you let me die, Ronnie?”_

 

_That voice. That sweet, little voice. Across the meadow was Eden. She was dressed similarly to my mother, in a white, flowing dress. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to run or go towards her but I didn’t have to make the decision as yet another person appeared in front of me. I jumped back but relaxed as I recognized the person as Vaas._

 

_He looked different as he stood between me and Eden, his eyes were deranged more than usual. He had a wild look about him that exceeded any way he had looked before. An immediate feeling of danger filled me and my instincts told me I should back away from this savage._

 

_But I was frozen in place once again._

 

_Vaas stepped forward and I tried to brace myself. Yet he only grabbed my wrist and pulled it up to his forehead. In my hand was a gun I didn’t even notice was there. He wrapped both of his hands around mine to hold the gun in place. My finger was on the trigger._

 

_A pure ebony snake had made an appearance as well, slithering across Vaas’ shoulder and spiraling around my arm. I only stared as its white tongue flickered in and out of its mouth while Vaas’ eyes didn’t leave my face. The snake’s milky white eyes matched the intensity of Vaas’ stare._

 

_“You are so close to the end…let it all go…” a voice said. Vaas, it was his voice but he hadn’t moved his lips. “You already killed two people. One more won’t hurt…”_

 

_“Only the strong survive…”_

 

_“We’re not the savages, mate…”_

 

_“I’ll roast you in the furnace until your skin crackles…”_

 

_“I’m gonna kill that motherfucker…”_

 

_“Knives take people away…”_

 

 _Unfamiliar voices rang through my ears along with Vaas’ shouting. His yells grew louder and louder, waiting_ _ㅡ_ _no, begging_ _ㅡ_ _for me to pull the trigger. He_ wanted _his blood splattered all over the grass, he_ wanted _a hole in his head, he_ wanted _me to end it._

 

_“...joke in the face of death…”_

 

_“...destroy all of it…”_

 

_“...eat what you kill…”_

 

_“...fuck…”_

 

_“...kill…”_

 

_“...insanity…”_

 

_“...blood…”_

 

_It became too much. The snake tightened its hold on my arm, constricting until the blood rushed from it. My finger pulsated on the trigger and it seemed so easy. So easy with just the flick of my finger, and it would all be over._

 

_And I did it._

 

_I pulled the trigger._

 

_Blood splattered everywhere and there was nothing but a ringing in my ears and darkness._

 

_X_

 

_“Was it really that bad? Look at how easy that was, Veronica. Look at how easy it is to just shut the door. To put away all those bad things in your pretty, little head.”_

 

_He was laughing but I couldn’t see him. The darkness was keeping me from moving, suffocating me._

 

_“Madness is the emergency exit, hermana…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Buenos días: Spanish for “good morning”  
> Ven aca: Spanish for “come here”  
> Culo grosero: Spanish for “rude ass”  
> Invasión: Spanish for “invasion”  
> Como nuevo: Spanish for “good as new”  
> Hermana: Spanish for “sister”  
> Bien: Spanish for “good”  
> Vamos: Spanish for “let’s go”  
> Muy bueno: Spanish for “very good”  
> Va bene: Italian for “okay”  
> Qué: Spanish for “what”
> 
> Okay, so I worked really hard on this chapter. And I spent a hell of a long time on it as you guys noticed since I haven’t updated in a while. But I hope you like it cause I actually rewrote the dream sequence a few times and I have always changed it around. It took me forever to finally get it the way I wanted it. So, I hope you guys like it and thank you for all of your reviews!


	10. Keeping Busy

Chapter 9 - Keeping Busy

_Idle hands are the Devil’s playthings._

**Veronica’s POV**

 

 

It was making my head pound. It made my entire body ache. Mostly my face. Particularly my eye. My stomach and thigh had a heartbeat. It stung.

 

My eyes fluttered open with a grimace, adjusting to the bright light that came from the sun. Everything seemed so intense, my senses felt like they hadn’t been used in years.

 

_What happened? Where am I?_

 

I tried to sit up but a searing pain flashed through my torso. I gazed around to see that I was in Vaas’ hut. And in his bed. Which was not comforting. But at the foot of the bed, snuggled by my boots, was Fuerza. She looked up at the sound of my movement and meowed before nuzzling my leg.

 

The bandage on my thigh caught my eye and I realized that my stomach was bandaged as well. My hand involuntarily went to rub the sleep from my eye but was met with the soft mesh of a bandage. I jumped up in surprise as I remembered what had happened and hissed at the pain that coursed through my body.

 

It was a tiger. I was attacked by a tiger. It clawed me. It clawed my leg, my stomach, and my eye. Could I see out of my eye? I didn’t know.

 

I began to panic. The feeling of terror settled into my stomach at the memories of my dream. Questions began to fill my head. What if I couldn’t see out of my eye anymore? Where was Vaas? Why wasn’t he here? Where was everyone? Why am I alone? Abandonment began to set in and Fuerza sensed my discomfort. She began to paw at me and knead the blanket in worry.

 

“Vaas? Vaas!” I called, anxiety in my voice. My breathing rate increased. “Vaas!”

 

I attempted to get out of bed, crying out but ignoring the pain. I had to find Vaas. I had to find him. I couldn’t be alone. I had no one.

 

“Vaas!”

 

Suddenly, there were strong hands on my biceps, pushing me back down onto the bed. I fought them with what little strength I had.

 

“Let go of me, you motherfucker!” I yelled, trying to get out of the bed. Fuerza had jumped to the floor in my fury, her ears flat and eyes wide in fear.

 

“Veronica, it’s me! It’s me! Look at me!”

 

“Let go!” I shouted, still fighting. I had to find Vaas, he couldn’t be gone. He can’t leave me. I had no one left.

 

“Ronnie, it’s me. Look…”

 

The person’s hands grasped either side of my face and forced me to look up at them. My panicking eyes finally processed whose face it was and I sighed in relief.

 

“I’m here,” Vaas said and I immediately relaxed. “What’s wrong? What’s in your head? Huh? You losing it?”

 

“I just...I don’t...I thought―”

 

“Alright, shh. Shush, you’re fine,” Vaas said, sounding the most sentimental he had the whole time I had known him. “Shit,” he cursed and I followed his gaze to my stomach where blood was seeping through the bandages. _“Idiota,”_ he whispered under his breath at the sight.

 

Vaas looked behind him and whistled, gesturing with two fingers for someone to come forward. I peered over his shoulder to try and see who was there.

 

“You remember Tyler, right?” he asked, nodding to the woman behind him who stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

 

She was the black woman who I had encountered in the compound. She looked a bit surprised at my strange episode but seemed like she was used to it. She lingered in the doorway.

 

“Y-yeah,” I replied, my breathing had calmed. She was one of the prostitutes who had witnessed me punching that other woman.

 

“She’s here to help, she’ll be attending you and shit,” Vaas said and Tyler stepped forward with more confidence. She was holding folded clothes in her arms.

 

“What happened?” I asked, ignoring Tyler.

 

“Well, after you got your ass torn up by that tiger. I took you back to camp and fixed you up, you’ve been out for two days,” Vaas explained. My eyes widened in surprise. “And now you’re on bed rest until you heal a bit.”

 

“Bed rest? But I can’t just sit here,” I protested but Vaas shook his head.

 

“Actually, yes, you can. Because I’m making you, _serpiente,”_ he said and took the clothes from Tyler’s hands. He tossed them on the bed in a careless way. “You’re gonna stay in here.”

 

“What am I supposed to do?”

 

“Entertain yourself. And change your clothes,” he said. I looked down to see that I was still in my bloody clothes that I had been wearing before. Parts were cut away to reach my wounds and there was blood stains all over it. “Tyler, change her bandages.”

 

Those were his last words and he turned and left the hut. That left just me and Tyler. She smiled softly and me and came to my bedside.

 

“You think you can handle a shower?” she asked. I was still a bit cautious around her. Who knew what type of person she was. I only felt safe around Vaas despite how crazy that sounded.

 

“Yeah,” I answered and allowed her to help me to my feet. I winced a bit at the pain but refused to voice any of it.

 

She linked her arm with mine to help me to the bathroom and I didn’t argue, knowing how weak I was. It was a long and slow walk to the bathroom with my limp but we made it. On the way, I saw Fuerza, who seemed to have gotten bigger since I last saw her, lying on the couch. She had watched our slow progress with interest, her tail flickering back and forth. She was growing so fast.

 

“You’ve got so much blood on you, you poor thing. That must’ve been traumatizing,” Tyler said, sympathy in her voice. I felt her hand wrap around my waist to sit me on the toilet seat. “Here, let me help,” she said, pulling my boots off my feet.

 

I was a bit hesitant to let Tyler help me undress but I figured it didn’t matter. Tyler helped pull my shirt over my head and I felt her fingertips drag across my skin a bit too long, raising goose bumps across my stomach.

 

“I got it,” I said when she reached for my pants. She shrugged and turned the shower on while I unbuttoned my pants and slid them off my legs.

 

I whimpered when I brushed my wounds and Tyler was there immediately to help. She carefully pulled my pants off the rest of the way and there was something sensual about her touch. I ignored it as she got to her feet.

 

“Alright, I’ll give you some privacy. If you need me just yell, I’ll be in the next room over,” she said before backing out of the bathroom. “Oh, and nice tattoos.” She smiled and winked.

 

I watched her go before standing and beginning to unwrap my bandages. I didn’t want them getting wet and it was a good idea to clean my wounds. I also wanted to see the damage. The bandages around my thigh and stomach were slightly stuck to my skin with dried blood but I was able to gingerly coax them off.

 

With one last grimace, the bandages were off. They revealed multiple stitches, all done with a careful hand. Black medical thread was all neatly done up in rows, keeping my skin closed. Four deep gashes cut across my stomach and four smaller ones were found on my thigh. I hissed in pain when I softly pressed on the stitches, watching the blood seep through from the disturbance.

 

I then turned to the mirror and stared at my face. There was a patch over my left eye and other small scrapes covering my cheeks. I brought my fingers up to the bandage and touched the mesh, wondering what lay beneath. Deciding to face the inevitable, I peeled the patch away and winced at the pain.

 

My left eye was pulled from darkness and met with blinding light. I squinted and felt my skin stretch under the strength of the stitches. Once my eye adjusted to the dim lighting of the bathroom, I let out a sigh of relief. I could see. Barely.

 

Unfortunately, my face was marred. There was a deep cut stretching from above my eyebrow to below my eye. My eye was nearly swollen shut from the wound and there was still some dried blood caked into the swollen skin. I sighed at the bruising that was forming under my eye before turning to get in the shower.

 

I needed to wash the rest of the dried blood and dirt off my skin. After stepping under the warm water, I scrubbed my skin. I didn’t want to be reminded of the traumatic experience with the tiger. Nor did I want to be covered in my own blood.

 

It was a difficult task as with each movement, I slightly tore open my wounds. But once I was done, I softly patted myself dry to not disturb the stitches or wounds. I stepped out of the bathroom, making sure not to look in the mirror at my swollen eye. Tyler was there waiting for me on the couch. Fuerza had moved to the floor, her body stretched out on the wood planks. Tyler was on her feet as soon as she saw me.

 

“Holy shit…” she said, looking me up and down. I noticed her eyes pausing on certain parts of my body. Was she checking me out? “Ronnie, you got the shit kicked out of you.”

 

“Don’t call me that,” I said, limping straight to Vaas’ bedroom to grab some clothes.

 

“Alright, sorry,” she said with a bit of sass in her tone. She followed me into the bedroom and watched me search through Vaas’ stuff to find something to wear. “Looking for there?” she asked, holding up the pair of clothes she had brought in earlier.

 

I scowled and snatched the clothes out of her hands. She crossed her arms and watched me. The clothes were just another tank top and cargo pants, similar to what Vaas always wore.

 

“Do you mind?” I asked and she just chuckled before turning her back. I quickly got dressed without trying to hurt myself and Tyler turned back around.

 

“Alright, let’s dress those wounds,” she said, going through one of Vaas’ drawers to find some medical supplies. It was the same box that Vaas had used the night he bandaged my burnt arm. Speaking of that, it was healing wonderfully. Tyler would need to rebandage that as well. “I’ll need you to take your pants off,” she said.

 

I sighed but complied, sliding my pants down to my knees and sitting on the bed. Tyler knelt down beside me and wrapped my thigh before tending to my stomach, eye, and burn. A few of her sensual touches later, I was taken care of.

 

“There! All fixed up,” Tyler said with a smile. “Where are you from, by the way? _Italie et en Amérique?”_ she asked in French.

 

“Yes…” I answered with slight confusion before bursting out, “what’s your deal?” Tyler looked surprised.

 

“What? What do you mean?”

 

“Touching me, looking at me. What’s your problem?” I asked, glaring at her.

 

“Nothing, nothing at all. I just find you...attractive,” she replied, her innocent demeanor changing into a promiscuous one. She smirked at me.

 

“Hey, I’m not about that lesbian shit,” I said, watching her carefully. Tyler stepped closer to me, her smirk growing.

 

“I can make you feel amazing, much better than a silly, little boy could. I bet you’ve never even tried pussy before,” she said, her voice sultry and soft. She softly touched my ankle and began to drag her fingers upward. Warmth grew between my legs. _“Nunca se sabe hasta que lo intente…”_

 

By now, her fingers were at my knee. She twirled some of my hair in her fingers before stroking my face. Just like Vaas always did. I remembered how long it had been since I felt the loving touch of another and it made the ache between my legs ache even more.

 

“No, I can’t,” I said, getting to my feet and pushing past her.

 

“That’s okay; I have plenty of time to win you over. Vaas isn’t the only one who can make you scream,” she said with a smile. I gave her a strange look. “Oh, come on. You want him, I know it.”

 

“I do not.”

 

“Sure,” she said with an even bigger grin. I just glared at her before walking out of the room and taking a seat on the couch. “He’s strong, smart, handsome. And I can tell you what he’s like in bed…”

 

Before she or I could say anything else, Vaas walked into the hut. I was grateful; I didn’t want to talk to Tyler anymore. But there was still much to learn about her and I could tell I would be seeing her again. Vaas was carrying a plate of steaming food and my stomach growled. It was dinner time judging by the dimming light.

 

“Did Tyler take good care of my Black Mamba?” Vaas asked, grabbing Tyler’s ass as he walked by her. She giggled and he grinned. I just grimaced and crossed my arms. Slight jealousy filled my chest. Vaas put the plate on the table and walked over to me next.

 

“You were right, she’s a feisty one. And muy bonita,” Tyler said and Vaas pinched my cheek. I leaned away and scowled, making Vaas chuckle.

 

“Tyler, the whores got in a fight again. Rose and Nikki.”

 

“I got it,” she replied, taking the hint that she wasn’t wanted in the hut anymore. “Bye, Veronica. I’ll see you again soon.” She smiled and waved but I just watched her go.

 

Once we were alone, Vaas gestured for me to eat. I didn’t argue. The plate of rice and boar was gone in a few minutes.

 

“How are your wounds?” Vaas asked and I shrugged.

 

“Fine. I can still see out of my eye,” I answered, pushing the plate away from me. “Thank you,” I said but got no response.

 

Vaas plopped down on the couch and leaned on the armrest. He looked tired now that I looked at him. Perhaps he had a long day? I just stood in the middle of the room, not quite sure what to do. Fuerza was nowhere to be found, she was probably outside somewhere. Hopefully not too far, I didn’t want her to endanger herself.

 

“Come, sit,” Vaas said, speaking to me like a dog. I did as he said but sat on the opposite side of the couch, feeling rather uncomfortable.

 

“How long do you think I will take to heal?” I asked, feeling as if I were trying to keep silence from overtaking us.

 

“To heal completely? A few weeks. A month or so.”

 

“How do you know this?”

 

Vaas was silent.

 

“Is it because your scar?” I asked, knowing that I was treading on thin ice.

 

“Little Snake, some things are best left unsaid. And I will unsay this topic unless you would like your cute, little, pinkie finger to be chopped into tiny pieces.”

 

It was my turn to become silent. I was somewhat used to his threats by now but it didn’t mean I wasn’t afraid of them.

 

“Is Tyler a lesbian?” I asked after a moment of quiet, unable to help my curiosity. The mood in the room immediately changed with Vaas’ own mood. He laughed.

 

“She’s bisexual. And I presume she made an attempt with you?” he asked and I nodded. “She takes care of my whores. She’s in charge of them all and runs parties and such. Very smart woman…”

 

“Where do the whores come from?”

 

“Raids, crashed planes, slavery, that kind of shit.”

 

“Am I gonna be a whore?” My voice was meek and quiet, I was afraid of the answer. Vaas waited a bit before answering.

 

“No.”

 

I was relieved.

 

Things fell into an awkward silence after that. The birds had gone to sleep as had the rest of the jungle, besides the vicious predators that scoured the night. Vaas pulled out a cigar just as I was about to speak again.

 

“Who’s Hoyt?” I asked tentatively. Vaas was silent again for a moment; it looked like he was thinking.

 

“A man who is impressed by your body and you skill,” he said but I wasn’t impressed.

 

“What skill? What does he do? Is he your boss?”

 

“Your skill at killing.”

 

Flashbacks. Flashbacks of blood and Eden’s dead body. Flashbacks of the severed head of the pirate and his intestines in my hands.

 

I must have zoned out for a while because Vaas had put in a movie. It was some action movie that I recognized but couldn’t recall the name of.

 

“What does he do on the island besides sell people?” I asked, watching his face carefully.

 

“Little Snake, this is my island. Hoyt has his own island where he runs things. He sells people and drugs and I work for him. That is all you need to know. So stop asking so many damn questions,” Vaas snapped and I went quiet.

 

I stared at the TV, not quite watching, before noticing that Vaas was staring at me. He was looking at my tattoos. The only one visible was the one on my forearm; the fox. I didn’t speak; afraid I would make him angry.

 

He scooted closer to me, cigar still in hand. I felt a sort of sensitiveness about him and the way he was handling himself. It was like I was a fragile, china doll and he was trying not to break me. He took one last hit of his cigar, blowing the smoke in my direction, before offering me it. I eyed him carefully before accepting his kindness. Once the smoke had entered my lungs, I closed my eyes in euphoria as nicotine spread throughout my body.

 

While my eyes were closed, I felt a hand touch my forearm. My eyes flashed open and I saw Vaas tracing the tattoo with his free hand. I let him, staying completely still while he remained entranced.

 

“Tell me where the others are,” he said quietly and I went to lift my shirt up. But Vaas grabbed my wrist and shook his head. “Tell me,” he repeated and I nodded with my mouth slightly agape. His proximity was putting me in some sort of trance and I didn’t know why. I needed to snap out of it.

 

“My ribs,” I whispered and Vaas hands went to the hem of my shirt. He slowly pulled the fabric up, revealing the words engraved on my skin.

 

“Oppress the weak and obey the strong,” Vaas read under his breath, tracing the fancy font with his pointer finger. Goosebumps rose up on my skin for the second time that day. My even breaths were deep and calm despite how close Vaas face was to my stomach. I took that opportunity to smoke again.

 

Vaas hand slid downwards towards the wounds on my stomach. His touch was gentle overtop of the bandages. I watched him cautiously as his lips descended onto the wounds, kissing them lightly. I was then filled with confusion but Vaas didn’t give me time to process what he had just done.

 

“And the others?” he asked. _How did he know I had so many tattoos?_

 

“My left calf.”

 

“Ah, a snake. How befitting,” he said, once again, tracing the tattoo. The snake curled, twisted, and turned all the way around and up my calf. Vaas seemed to enjoy tracing it.

 

“The back of my neck.”

 

I turned so my back was toward him and Vaas swept my hair over my shoulder to reveal the tattoo. It was a snake and an apple, the one that Eden and I shared. I was quiet before deciding to share the memory with him.

 

“Eden had the same one,” I said softly but Vaas didn’t respond. “There’s one here too,” I said, gesturing to my lower back.

 

“Ahh, Black Mamba has a tramp stamp,” Vaas replied and I knew he was grinning. I just rolled my eyes and began to question my sanity. Was I really letting my captor get so close to me? Was he really being so kind to me? Why was he being so kind to me?

 

Vaas brushed the tattoo with the back of his hand and I felt a chill run up my spine. His hand continued upward under my shirt, exploring the curve of my spine and the muscles along my shoulder blades. My eyes slid shut in pleasure of the soft touch. He reached the top of my spine and he used his other hand to touch my neck.

 

In a moment, his hands were gone. My eyes flew open in confusion, disappointment, and worry. _Wait, worry?_

 

“You should sleep,” Vaas said as if nothing had happened. His attention was turned to the TV as if his eyes never left the screen.

 

“Sleep?”

 

“Yes, sleep. You’re wounded,” he explained and I nodded in agreement. I straightened my shirt out and relaxed into the couch.

 

Fuerza slinked into the room from outside, groaning as she lay down at my feet. The movie continued to play and we both watched but I didn’t pay attention. I just kept feeling the ghosts of Vaas’ fingers on my back and their tenderness on my shoulders. I wondered if he was thinking about the same thing.

 

X

 

I awoke to the music of the credits, warmth surrounding me. Particularly my left side. I snuggled further into the warmth, enjoying the comfort and let out a sigh. But the sound of a familiar chuckle made my eyes flash open.

 

“Shit…” I whispered as I realized I had been leaning on Vaas. His shoulder had been so comfortable. I didn’t even realize that I had fallen asleep. “Sorry,” I said quickly with embarrassment. My face flushed slightly.

 

Vaas laughed but his laughter died down as my eyes met his. I looked up at him and found myself lost in the brownish green pools. He looked equally lost in my eyes as well. My mouth was slightly agape, the haze of sleep still in my head. Vaas leaned closer to me, his mouth opening a bit.

 

My eyes slid closed as I tilted my head to the side, my chin lifted upward as I waited for what we were both scared to do. Whether it was my imagination or reality, I swore I could feel the ghost of his lips on mine. But when my eyes opened, he was looking away.

 

“I’m going to bed.”

 

That was all he said before getting to his feet and retiring to his room. I watched him go; disappointment along with confusion filled me.

 

_What the hell just happened?_

 

X

 

I fell asleep again with Fuerza at my feet, guarding me. But before I knew it, I was shaken awake.

 

“Ronnie! Wake the fuck up,” Vaas yelled, shaking my shoulder. I sat up in a rush, my chest heaving and sweat on my forehead.

 

“What happened?” I asked, feeling Fuerza rub her head against my leg. I pet her head and felt her purr.

 

“You wouldn’t shut the fuck up. You were yelling in your sleep and shit,” Vaas said, rubbing his face. I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt and the way the moonlight shined on his skin was entrancing.

 

“I had a nightmare,” I said, scanning his muscled chest.

 

“Well, if you’re going to have nightmares, could you at least keep it down? God damn…” he said before turning on his heel and walking back to his room. I watched the way his back muscles flexed as he walked until he disappeared.

 

“What am I doing, Fuerza,” I said, turning my attention to her. She just twitched her ear and closed her eyes in pleasure as I scratched the top of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Idiota: Spanish for “idiot”  
> Serpiente: Spanish for “snake”  
> Italie et en Amérique?: French for “Italy and America?”  
> Nunca se sabe hasta que lo intente: Spanish for “you never know until you try”  
> Muy bonita: Spanish for “very beautiful”


	11. Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Kiss

> Chapter 10 - An Unexpected Kiss  
>  _It’s hard to hurt someone once you understand them._  
>  **Veronica’s POV**  
> 

“Alright, let’s see ‘em,” Vaas said, gesturing to my wounds. I had bled in the night due to all my tossing and turning. Even after a week, I was still having nightmares of tigers, Cheshire cats, blood, and death.

I was healing, luckily, and not dying of diseases. Vaas had made sure to help the wounds stay clean and the stitches in tact. My nightmares were not helping. Vaas had to wake me up at least once a night and we were both losing sleep over it. I knew he was annoyed by it but he was always there for me when I was panting or crying. He had even let me hug him. 

Neither of us spoke as Vaas removed my bandages and cleaned the wounds with antiseptic. He made sure the stitches weren’t ripped and made sure there wasn’t any sign of infection. Once he was satisfied, he wrapped them back up and stood. 

“When am I allowed out?” I asked. I asked that every day for the past week. Every time Vaas answered the same. 

“When I say so. So stop fucking asking.”

My patience was wearing thin and I hated staying cooped up in the hut all day. By now, I had watched all his movies and even gone through all the cabinets and drawers of the house. 

“Here’s some food. Eat up,” he said, putting a bowl of fruit on the table. “I’ll see you later tonight, _serpiente.”_ With that, he was gone. 

It usually happened like that after our “almost kiss” moment. He was quick to leave in the morning and quick to sleep in the evening. There were no more gentle touches except when he changed my bandages which was frequently. It was almost awkward, if that was even the right word for it. 

I sighed and plopped down on the couch, putting in the movie Bambi for about the third time. Fuerza had gotten even bigger it seemed yet she still enjoyed sitting on the couch with me. Her paws and head rested on my lap while the movie started up. 

Not even five minutes into the movie, I got bored. I began counting Fuerza’s spots and stopped when I got lost in the pattern of yellow and black. 

Then, I thought of an idea. _I should sneak out…_

The punishment was something that didn’t occur to me since I hadn’t left the hut in what felt like weeks. Fresh air and sunlight was something that I was craving. Fuerza hopped off the couch when I stood and leaned against my legs as I scratched her side. Much like a dog, I thought.

_“Andiamo,_ Fuerza. _Mi annoio come cazzo,”_ I said and she purred in response. More to my petting her rather than my words.

I pulled my boots on and found that the door was unlocked. Maybe Vaas and I were coming to some sort of level of trust. Fuerza followed me out the door and I took a deep breath of the jungle air. A smile curved at my lips and I sighed, I felt immediately better.

It didn’t take me long to reach the busy life of the compound. Fuerza had slunk off into the jungle, most likely to hunt despite the generous amounts of meat Vaas brought her daily. She would be fat sooner or later even though Vaas claimed it was for her growth. 

I wandered around the compound, some eyes curious and others not. I guessed most of them had seen me being brought into the compound all bloody and torn up. Carlos suddenly ran up to me, a broad smile on his cheeky face.

“Veronica! Back from the dead so soon?” he asked and I chuckled while shrugging. “How’s the eye?” 

“It’s fine. Healing nicely. Vaas says I should be good within the month,” I answered and he nodded.

“I’m surprised he let you out. He’s been keeping you his secret in that hut of his,” Carlos said and I gave him a nervous smile. “Ohh, someone snuck out, didn’t they?” he smirked, “don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”

“Thanks, Carlos. You’re the best.”

With that, he backed away and went back to whatever he had been occupied by before. With another short walk, I found myself by the cages. A place which felt like a distant memory to me. I worked hard to keep Eden’s blue eyes out of my head as I neared the prisoners. 

“Veronica?” 

I turned my head towards the voice and saw Drake. He was still alive. He looked healthier than the last time I saw him and I came to the conclusion that they were going to sell him which didn’t affect me at all. I even felt a bit relieved that I wouldn’t have to look at the face of the person who reminded me of my sister. 

“Veronica, you’re alive!” he exclaimed and even smiled at me. I walked closer even though I knew I had nothing to say to him. “I thought you were gone for good. That wetback brought you in and I thought… There was so much blood.”

“Excuse me? What did you just call him?” My tone was deadly and my eyes were narrowed.

“I’ll kill him for doing that to you.” 

I closed in on Drake, feeling powerful since he was tied up and behind bars. I crouched down, ignoring the ripping of my skin from the wounds.

“Has he done anything else to you? What has he done?” 

“If you ever─”

I was cut off by Drake’s lips crashing against mine. 

Just as I was about to reach for his throat, a hand grabbed the back of mine and yanked me away. I grimaced at the tearing of my skin but was too caught up in my rage at Drake. It was Vaas who had grabbed me and he couldn’t have looked more angry. I saw his fist twitching but he didn’t raise it.

“What the fuck is this? Huh?” I sensed jealousy in his words. He couldn’t hide it. “What the _fuck_ is this bullshit?”

“Vaas, he was─”

_“No follando excusas tiro de mí.”_

“Vaas─”

“Don’t,” he spat before turning to Drake. “I’m gonna sell you to someone very special, _hermano._ He likes little boys like you. Yeah? You’ll be his new toy.”

Drake’s eyes filled with fear and even tears. All Vaas did was grab my bicep and drag me away. He hauled me back to his hut with the whole camp watching, not quite surprised that I had gotten myself into trouble once again. 

“Vaas! Let go!” I yelled at him but he refused to listen. “Vaas!”

He just threw open the door to his hut and threw me inside. I stumbled and bumped into the side table by the couch. Papers that had been stacked neatly on it fluttered to the ground along with me. I cried out as my wounds ripped open even further and I saw blood spots seeping into my shirt. 

“What the fuck are these?”

Vaas walked forward to pick up one of the papers and my eyes widened. I struggled to grab all the papers before he did.

“Nothing!” I called out a bit too loud but he just nudged me away with his foot to pick up a paper.

The papers were my sketches. Fuerza, birds, fruit, Bambi, the jungle. And he was holding one of himself. His eyes scanned the paper with confusion, his eyebrows were drawn together as he took in what was on the paper.

“Is this...me?”

I was silent, focusing on picking up the other sketches. I had found the paper and pencils stowed away in one of his kitchen drawers. With all the boredom, I figured I would pass the time with drawing. 

“I’m sorry,” was all I could say. 

Vaas’ expression changed to one of frustration or annoyance and he let go of the paper, letting it float to the ground. He turned to leave but I called after him.

“Wait! Please, what are you going to do with me?” I asked, desperation in my voice.

He didn’t answer me and slammed the door behind him. I heard a lock click and then there was silence. I just picked up the sketch of Vaas and stared at the detail. 

The lines of his jaw, his large nose, the scar that graced his face. The expression was one I had seen many times. It was filled with malice, playfulness, and mischief. His smirk hid secrets that I knew he would never tell. 

My fingers caressed the pencil lines, careful not to smudge them. I sighed and began to gather up the other drawings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Serpiente: Spanish for “snake”  
> Andiamo, Fuerza. Mi annoio come cazzo: Italian for “let’s go, Fuerza. I’m bored as fuck”  
> No follando excusas tiro de mí: Spanish for “don’t fucking throw excuses at me”  
> Hermano: Spanish for “brother”


End file.
